十七世紀 犀角雕「饕餮」紋螭龍耳八角盃

the rich chestnut-toned horn carved with eight facetted sides tapering towards the foot, the exterior carved in low relief with two taotie animal masks reserved on a leiwen ground, below a rim of incised pendent ruyi heads, one end set with a chilong clambering up the side grasping the rim of the interior with his mouth, the rim further decorated with a key-fret border, the horn with a smooth patina, stand

1963年購於紐約
仇焱之及仇大雄收藏

《Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection》，亞洲文明博物館，新加坡，2003年，編號FC19

There are two small old chips to the foot (5 mm each) and the rim has a 2 mm nick with an attendant age crack. The overall condition is very good.
"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 belongs to a well known group of rhinoceros horn vessels fashioned and decorated in the archaistic shape and style with motifs found on the surface decoration of bronzes, jades and lacquer of the pre-Han periods.  Such vessels were favoured by the nobility who were keen collectors of ancient artefacts. Carvers and artists were able to transfer the ritual heritage of archaic bronze forms to mediums such as rhinoceros horn, ceramics and jade. Decorative styles were often blended, as seen on this example, where the archaistic design band on the main body is combined with a single lively chilong forming the handle of the vessel. While no two rhinoceros horn carvings are ever the same, this cup is surprisingly closely related to an octagonal cup, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2004, pl. 219.

Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 147-156, illustrates a number of comparable examples, which she lists as belonging to the 'archaistic decoration' category, such as the piece, from the Avery Brundage collection in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, pl. 179; another in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, pl. 185; and a further piece in the Staatliches Museum für Volkekunde, Munich, pl. 184.

This cup bears a comparatively free and casual archaistic decoration, as if the artist was keen to experiment with his design. The ruyi border around the lip is unusual, while the taotie mask band motif around the body is also individual.

See an octagonal archaistic cup with a dragon handle, from the collection of the Harvard Art Museum, Cambridge, Mass., published in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 20, together with another octagonal cup with taotie design, from the collection of Dora Wong, pl. 48. Further compare a cup with stylized taotie mask, in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, is published in Jan Chapman, 'The Chester Beatty Collection of Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horn Cups', Arts of Asia, May-June, vol. 12, no. 3, 1982, p. 83, pl. 23; and one from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, of octagonal form decorated with a broad taotie band between two key-fret borders around the lip and foot, included in Ip Yee, 'Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings', International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, p. 25, pl. 11, together with another octagonal cup, the handle surmounted by a taotie mask carved in high relief, pl. 13.