Bonhams 1793 : A rhinoceros horn archaistic tripod vessel, jue 17th/18th century

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8 Nov 2012 10:00 GMT London, New Bond Street
Fine Chinese Art
Back to auction 20024

A rhinoceros horn archaistic tripod vessel, jue

17th/18th century
The well-hollowed vessel finely carved around the exterior with stylised taotie masks reserved on a leiwen ground beneath a key-fret border around the rim, the top of the handle carved with two chilong dragons crawling around the rim, standing on three splayed legs carved with shallow relief, the surface darkly patinated.
11.5cm (4½in) high

Sold for £91,250 inc. premium

Footnotes

Provenance: an English private collection

十七/十八世紀犀角雕仿古饕餮紋爵杯

來源：英國私人收藏

The United Kingdom Government has imposed an almost complete prohibition on granting a license to permit the export of worked antique rhinoceros horn from the UK to any destination outside the European Union. Please check with the department for further details.

The present cup is inspired in form by archaic bronze jue wine vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Jue vessels inspired by the archaic bronze form were also produced in porcelain, jade, bronze and cloisonné enamel, particularly in the 18th century. Two jue-shaped rhinoceros horn libation cups from the Qing Court Collection are illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, pls.136 (late Ming Dynasty) and 205 (mid Qing Dynasty). See also a related rhinoceros horn jue cup, 18th century, in Harvard University Art Museums, illustrated by T.Fok in Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl.36.