A RHINOCEROS HORN 'LOTUS AND CRAB' LIBATION CUP 17TH CENTURY

the tightly grained horn of rich reddish-brown colour, carved in the form of a furled lotus leaf resting on a smaller upturned leaf forming a 'cup as base' stand, playfully decorated with tied bundles of lotus blossoms, arrowhead and waterweeds convoluting in openwork around the naturalistically veined pad, with further wildlife clustered around the waist in the form of a crab and two snails

Sotheby’s New York, 11th April 1986, lot 302A.
Collection of Franklin Chow.

Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2003, cat. no. FC43.

Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 86.

There are a few small restored chips around the furled rim including one of approx. 1 cm to the front of the cup, another 0.5 by 0.5 cm in one cusps to the rear left of the cup, and another 1.3 by 0.5 cm to the footring. There is some minor pitting to the stem of the lotus forming the cup handle. The patina is somewhat dry.
"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."

This cup belongs to a special and rare group of carvings which are often described as 'cup as base' by connoisseurs. Vessels in this group are fashioned so that they can stand on the lip end of the horn yet act as a container for wine. In the present case, there are two lotus leaves, the larger acting as the principal cup, while the smaller leaf may be either a stand for the large leaf or a small cup on its own right. The decoration is also playful, with the large leaf carved with tied bundles of lotus blossoms, leaves and water weeds in low relief while the smaller leaf is supporting wildlife in form of a crab and two snails. The two leaves complement each other and overall the piece is not only quirky but entertaining at the same time.

Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 83-85, lists five examples, two in private collections and three in museums from this group - one in the form of a reclining stag, in the Shuisongshi  Shanfang collection, pl. 56, signed by the carver Bao Tiancheng; one in the form of a goat, from the collection Dr. Jo Levy, Paris, pl. 57; one in the form of a deer, formerly in the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, pl. 58; and two in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University,  Cambridge Mass., a dragon shaped cup pl. 59, and a jug sitting on an inverted cup, pl. 60. See also a vessel in the form of a deer and a cup when turned upside down, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, illustrated in Dr. Ip Yee, 'Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings', International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, p. 21, cat. no. 36.