A RHINOCEROS HORN 'FLOWER AND INSECT' LIBATION CUP QING DYNASTY, KANGXI / YONGZHENG PERIOD

naturalistically carved in the form of a furled lotus leaf, densely covered around the exterior by a profusion of autumnal plants and insects, with a large peony blossom springing in front, its attendant leaf draping the foot and partly concealing a spider while another spider finds shelter on the underside, the horn further carved with an openwork handle formed by the large trunk of a chrysanthemum tree twisting its way over the mouth and on to the interior, its flowering branches intertwined with sprigs of loquat fruits and extending along the sides, all below a cicada feeding on a torn leaf overlapping the rim, the interior textured with veins and picked out with another cicada in front, the horn patinated to a warm reddish-brown colour darkening toward the base, carved wood stand

Acquired from a private New York collection, 1996.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 2004.

There are typical age cracks to the surface, especially to the interior. The cicada to the interior and top of the handle appear to be later replacements made of buffalo horn. There are tiny chips to the design on the exterior and general surface wear.
"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."

The present cup depicts one of the most popular themes in the rhinoceros horn carver’s repertoire: seasonal flowers, fruits and insects. While a number of cups in museums and private collections are known carved with insects such as the praying mantis, butterfly or bee, those with cicadas and spiders are extremely rare. The two cicadas seen on this cup, one carved in the interior and the other on the handle, are naturalistically rendered, while the spiders are quirky additions to the design, making the overall representation of nature interesting and lively. Cicadas are powerful symbols of rebirth in China and have traditionally been depicted in art from as early as the Neolithic period. Realistic representations of cicadas carved in jade from the Han period may be found in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pls. 24.8-9. The spider is also highly auspicious and appears in art as the symbol of joy.

For examples of rhinoceros horn cups carved with insects, see one cup in the Staatliches Museum für Volkerkunde, Munich, illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 184, pl. 245, modelled as a lotus leaf and with four praying mantis crawling on the outside of the leaf; a leaf-shaped rhinoceros horn washer carved with a praying mantis in its interior, sold in these rooms, 9th October 2012, lot 3047; and a cup depicting a bee flying into the interior of a flower, published ibid., pl. 244. Another cup modelled as a loquat leaf with two butterflies in low relief in its interior, is in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, published ibid., pl. 246. Compare also a similarly carved libation cup sold in our Paris rooms, 9th June 2010, lot 160, depicting a praying mantis among peonies.

Similar floral decoration, but without fruits or insects, may be found on a cup, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 129; and see also a cup, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, carved with the design of fruit and flowers, illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2002, pl. 191.