crisply carved as a hibiscus flower with the furled petals forming the cup, the exterior detailed in high relief with flowers and buds entwined with the stems and star-shaped serrated leaves, all enveloping the sides and issuing from the openwork foot, the undercut handle formed on one side with a sinuous chilong interweaving his body through the stems and resting his head on the rim of the interior, the six flower petals on the interior sharply articulated and punctuated with a long stamen in the centre, the horn of rich chestnut tone with a smooth patina, stand
《Craving for Carvings: Rhinoceros Horn from the Chow Collection》，亞洲文明博物館，新加坡，2003年，編號FC57
Apart from some minor nibbles along the edges and shoulder of the chilong, 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 natural shape of the horn used for the making of this fine cup lends itself particularly well to that of an open flower blossom, and the carver has transformed the lip end of his material into a complete hibiscus flower with one stamen in the well. The hibiscus is immediately recognizable by its stamens which extend far out of the flower. The carving is detailed and naturalistic, even the interior of the piece is finished to the highest level with the overlapping petals carved to display a strong three-dimensional quality. Nature was on the forefront of the carver's mind when he rendered this subject matter. Another notable aspect to the piece is the ring-stand it sits on - shaped as the stem of the plant from which leaves and buds grow. The handle is also imaginatively fashioned in the form of a
chilong reaching up to the top of the petals. A cup where the stalks of a lotus plant was made into a ring-base for the vessel, from the collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow, was sold in these rooms, 8th April 2011, lot 2715; and another, from the Murray bequest and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is illustrated in Craig Clunas,
Chinese Carving, London, 1996, fig. 31, where two intertwining stems are used to form the base of the vessel.
For examples of rhinoceros horn cups with hibiscus, see one in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, published in Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 206; another, formerly owned by Tradescant the Elder and presented to the University of Oxford by Elias Ashmole, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, included in Derek Gillman, 'A Source of Rhinoceros Horn Cups in the Late Ming Dynasty', Orientations, December 1984, p. 15, fig. 8; and a third, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee illustrated in Dr. Ip Yee, 'Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings', International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1982, p. 36, cat. no. 29. See also a cup sold at Chrsitie's London, 16th May 2007, lot 49; and another sold in our London rooms, 19th December 1980, lot 93.
