- 2719
AN IMPERIAL OUTSTANDING RHINOCEROS HORN 'DRAGON' BOWL MING DYNASTY, 16TH / 17TH CENTURY
Estimate
18,000,000 - 25,000,000 HKD
bidding is closed
Description
THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE.
carved from a perfectly circular section of horn with rounded sides rising to an everted lip and tapering to a flat base, deftly carved in varying levels of relief around the exterior with one large scaly five-clawed dragon with a bifurcated tail and four smaller chilong, all clambering around a formal archaistic ground with a band of leiwen and taotie animal masks, set between upright and pendent lappets and cicadas below the rim and skirting the foot, the mouthrim encircled by a keyfret band and abstract zoomorphic patterns around the mouth, the dragons all playfully rendered with animated contorted poses, the fifth chilong hiding on the base in low relief, the well-hollowed interior left plain, the smooth patina of warm honey tone, stand
carved from a perfectly circular section of horn with rounded sides rising to an everted lip and tapering to a flat base, deftly carved in varying levels of relief around the exterior with one large scaly five-clawed dragon with a bifurcated tail and four smaller chilong, all clambering around a formal archaistic ground with a band of leiwen and taotie animal masks, set between upright and pendent lappets and cicadas below the rim and skirting the foot, the mouthrim encircled by a keyfret band and abstract zoomorphic patterns around the mouth, the dragons all playfully rendered with animated contorted poses, the fifth chilong hiding on the base in low relief, the well-hollowed interior left plain, the smooth patina of warm honey tone, stand
Provenance
Sotheby's London, 12th December 1978, lot 257.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.
Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow.
Exhibited
One Man's Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. R19.
Literature
Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 189.
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 6.
Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 6.
Condition
The overall condition is very good with only a fine star crack to the extremely thin base that has been reinforced.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Praised as the 'Champion of rhinoceros horns' (ke cheng xijiao zhi Guan) by Edward Chow, the present bowl is a tour de force within rhinoceros horn carving with no comparable example recorded. Acquired in 1978, this bowl is amongst the most important vessels in the collection. Chow mentions in his notes that in his fifty years' experience with antiques it is the first time that he has seen such an extraordinary piece. He writes, 'Xing shen xing shen ye. Zhi ke yu, bu ke qiu, laotian zhi ci ye.' ('How lucky, how happy I am! One can only find such an object by chance. It is the gift of God.')
Exquisitely fashioned in high relief with a large animated scaly dragon chasing four smaller ones around the vessel, against a background of archaistic motifs carved in low relief, it represents the work of a master carver possibly employed by the Ming court or commissioned to make it as a tribute item for the court. It is known that from the early Ming dynasty the craft of horn carving was exclusively controlled by the imperial court which would have commissioned a bowl of this type for the emperor and his family.
The bowl is special for a number of reasons. It is impressive for its exceptionally large size. The only horn type that is of sufficient size and shape to make such a striking vessel is that of the Black African rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). This horn species is also the only one that is virtually circular in shape and has almost straight sides at the well end which is important for achieving the correct shape. (See Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 90).
While rhinoceros horn bowls are rare, two of the earliest examples recorded are in the collection of the Shoso-in Repository at Nara, Japan, illustrated in ibid., pp. 87-88, pls. 66 and 67, both undecorated with a diameter of 10 cm and 15.5 cm respectively. Another plain bowl of very similar size and form to the present piece, attributed to the late Ming dynasty, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 123. The Palace Museum bowl shares a distinct feature with the bowl in this collection, the thick overhanging lip which in this case is decorated with the keyfret pattern on the side and stylised dragon motif on the top. See a smaller plain conical form bowl (diameter 15 cm.) with a keyfret pattern around the rim, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, included in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, London, 1996, fig. 29; and one in the collection of Harvard University Art Museums, decorated with a single stylized dragon band, illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 10. Compare another Ming bowl in the form of a large lotus flower, included in a number of distinguished collections such as those of Hoqua, William Couper, Leo D. Arons, Eskenazi London, and The Water, Pine, Stone Retreat Collection, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2242.
The exquisite craftsmanship and decoration make this bowl special and unique. The high level of quality achieved and the dauntingly laborious production process are typical of manufacture for imperial use. The carving of the mythical beasts is three dimensional, not dissimilar to that seen on stone stele of the Ming dynasty. For example, see a relief carving of a dragon on a ceremonial archway (pai lou) base in the tomb of the Ming emperor Hongxi (d. 1425), Beijing, illustrated in Ann Paludan, The Chinese Spirit Road, New Haven, 1991, pl. 221. The cicada motif on the bowl is also comparable to that carved on the base of another stone ceremonial archway bearing a large qilin, in the Valley of the Ming Tombs, Beijing, also illustrated ibid., pl. 220.
The carving of this bowl is similar to that seen on contemporary lacquer vessels where the design is fashioned through several distinct layers. On this bowl, the chilong are fashioned on an archaistic background, much of which is carved against another layer of leiwen (keyfret) ground. For a related effect see a Jiajing mark and period lacquer bowl of similar deep rounded form, carved with a writhing dragon and a soaring phoenix amid peonies, sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 627. A Xuande lacquer dish carved in high relief with chilong amidst waves and ruyi-clouds, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and published in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol.5, Fuzhou, 1995, pl. 42, may have also served as inspiration in its rendition of the dragons and ruyi-clouds against a star-pattern diaper-ground. This style of deep carving is also evident on an imperial Ming rosewood brushpot bearing nine hornless dragons chasing each other around the vessel, also in the Palace Museum, included Sekai Bijutsu Daizenshu. Toyohen, vol. 8, Tokyo, 1999, pl. 203.
Another distinctive feature of this bowl is its particularly beautiful shade of golden honey colour which is associated with pieces made in the Ming dynasty. This is a sign of the natural aging process of the material as well as being the result of extensive polishing to a high sheen. In its original state rhinoceros horn is a dark grey colour, frequently with a black core to the horn which extends upwards from the point to the well.
Exquisitely fashioned in high relief with a large animated scaly dragon chasing four smaller ones around the vessel, against a background of archaistic motifs carved in low relief, it represents the work of a master carver possibly employed by the Ming court or commissioned to make it as a tribute item for the court. It is known that from the early Ming dynasty the craft of horn carving was exclusively controlled by the imperial court which would have commissioned a bowl of this type for the emperor and his family.
The bowl is special for a number of reasons. It is impressive for its exceptionally large size. The only horn type that is of sufficient size and shape to make such a striking vessel is that of the Black African rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). This horn species is also the only one that is virtually circular in shape and has almost straight sides at the well end which is important for achieving the correct shape. (See Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 90).
While rhinoceros horn bowls are rare, two of the earliest examples recorded are in the collection of the Shoso-in Repository at Nara, Japan, illustrated in ibid., pp. 87-88, pls. 66 and 67, both undecorated with a diameter of 10 cm and 15.5 cm respectively. Another plain bowl of very similar size and form to the present piece, attributed to the late Ming dynasty, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 123. The Palace Museum bowl shares a distinct feature with the bowl in this collection, the thick overhanging lip which in this case is decorated with the keyfret pattern on the side and stylised dragon motif on the top. See a smaller plain conical form bowl (diameter 15 cm.) with a keyfret pattern around the rim, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, included in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, London, 1996, fig. 29; and one in the collection of Harvard University Art Museums, decorated with a single stylized dragon band, illustrated in Fok, op.cit., pl. 10. Compare another Ming bowl in the form of a large lotus flower, included in a number of distinguished collections such as those of Hoqua, William Couper, Leo D. Arons, Eskenazi London, and The Water, Pine, Stone Retreat Collection, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2242.
The exquisite craftsmanship and decoration make this bowl special and unique. The high level of quality achieved and the dauntingly laborious production process are typical of manufacture for imperial use. The carving of the mythical beasts is three dimensional, not dissimilar to that seen on stone stele of the Ming dynasty. For example, see a relief carving of a dragon on a ceremonial archway (pai lou) base in the tomb of the Ming emperor Hongxi (d. 1425), Beijing, illustrated in Ann Paludan, The Chinese Spirit Road, New Haven, 1991, pl. 221. The cicada motif on the bowl is also comparable to that carved on the base of another stone ceremonial archway bearing a large qilin, in the Valley of the Ming Tombs, Beijing, also illustrated ibid., pl. 220.
The carving of this bowl is similar to that seen on contemporary lacquer vessels where the design is fashioned through several distinct layers. On this bowl, the chilong are fashioned on an archaistic background, much of which is carved against another layer of leiwen (keyfret) ground. For a related effect see a Jiajing mark and period lacquer bowl of similar deep rounded form, carved with a writhing dragon and a soaring phoenix amid peonies, sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 627. A Xuande lacquer dish carved in high relief with chilong amidst waves and ruyi-clouds, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and published in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol.5, Fuzhou, 1995, pl. 42, may have also served as inspiration in its rendition of the dragons and ruyi-clouds against a star-pattern diaper-ground. This style of deep carving is also evident on an imperial Ming rosewood brushpot bearing nine hornless dragons chasing each other around the vessel, also in the Palace Museum, included Sekai Bijutsu Daizenshu. Toyohen, vol. 8, Tokyo, 1999, pl. 203.
Another distinctive feature of this bowl is its particularly beautiful shade of golden honey colour which is associated with pieces made in the Ming dynasty. This is a sign of the natural aging process of the material as well as being the result of extensive polishing to a high sheen. In its original state rhinoceros horn is a dark grey colour, frequently with a black core to the horn which extends upwards from the point to the well.