清十八世紀 犀角雕「長亭送別」圖盃 《直生》款

the tightly grained horn of pale honey colour deepening to a burnt-caramel tone towards the foot and on the interior, finely carved with a scene from Wang Shifu's Xixiang ji (Romance of the West Chamber) depicting Cui Yingying and her maid, Hong Niang, bidding farewell to Zhang seen on horseback, looking back at the two ladies, accompanied by servants carrying his belongings, one of them pulling a heavy wheeled cart behind, all set in a mountainous landscape with tall overhanging cliffs arboured with a variety of verdant trees, including two lofty pines growing in openwork at one end to form the handles, their branches laden with clusters of needles extending onto the cup, a finely delineated stream looping near the base and flowing through the crags on the underside, the base inscribed with a two-character seal mark Zhi Sheng

紐約蘇富比1985年4月17日，編號141
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FC58

There are several chips to the openwork branches. On of the two trees forming the handle is chipped as well as the branches of the pine tree extending on to the interior of the cup. The surface is a little dry. There are a few old chips along the edge of the cup, expected age cracks and shallow insect eaten holes. The carving is otherwise 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."

This tall thin cup of pale honey colouration is a fine example of how popular literary themes were used as designs on vessels and artefacts. Figural scenes on horn carvings, porcelain, jade or lacquer were treasured for their reference to a particular novel or play well known by the literati. The story depicted here is from the famous, and very popular 'love' story in China, the Xixiang ji [Romance of the West Chamber] by Wang Shifu (1260-1336) of the Yuan dynasty. The play tells the story of a secret love affair between the young scholar Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying, daughter of a Tang dynasty minister.

The scene carved on the cup shows Cui Yingying and her maid, Hong Niang, bidding farewell to Zhang who is ordered by Cui's mother to go to the capital to pass the civil service examination. He is seen on horseback, looking back at the two ladies, with his hands raised and clasped together under his sleeves in the traditional gesture of parting.  His servants are carrying his belongings which suggests that he will be away for some time. In the story Cui's mother agrees to give her consent for the couple to marry if Zhang passes the examination and is appointed to high office.  Predictably, Zhang proves to be a brilliant scholar and the story ends on a happy note as the two finally marry.  The same scene may be seen on a ceramic brushpot, from the collection of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Porcelain of Jiangxi Province, Part II, Beijing, 2008, p.66.

For examples of vessels decorated with figural scenes from literature, see two 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, pls. 146-7, both attributed to the early Qing period; another cup carved with a scene from the famous legend of Jiang Ziya, from the collection of Franklin Chow, sold in these rooms, 8th April 2011, lot 2720; and a cup carved with various episodes from a number of famous Chinese dramas, such as the Mudanting (Peony Pavilion), the Xixiang ji and the Western Han period love story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun Feng qiu huang (Phoenix Seeks Companion), sold in these rooms, 8th October 2006, lot 1137.