Bonhams 1793 : A white jade 'rhinoceros horn' libation cup Mid Qing dynasty

Mid Qing dynasty
Naturalistically worked in the shape of a rhinoceros horn carving, the bouquet extending from a thick stem terminating in an upward splayed lotus leaf in the form of a cup with lobed rims, supported at the base with thinner intertwining stems issuing blossoming lotus blossoms, pods and leaves, the exterior with two additional chi dragons with slender twisted bodies and bifurcated tails, one clambering upwards on four strong paws and the other descending downwards flanked by a pair of pond snails, all boldly worked in high relief, the white stone with ochre inclusions, hardwood stand.
28cm high. (2).

Sold for HK$ 500,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

Provenance 來源:
Spink & Son Ltd., London, (according to label)
Robyn Turner Gallery, San Francisco, 21 July 1997

The form of this jade vessel stems from rhinoceros horn libation cup carvings. For a rhinoceros libation cup of similar shape, carved with lotus blossom, leafy plants and a chi dragon motif, formerly in the Arthur M. Sackler collection, see Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p.141, no.92. (fig.1).

清中期白玉雕蓮葉螭龍犀角式杯

白玉材質，局部留皮，玉質溫潤滋肥。仿犀角杯樣式，以一杯形窩狀大蓮葉為杯身主體，並浮雕蓮葉、蓮花、蓮蓬和蓮根，其葉脈、花筋、花瓣及蓮子均有細緻勾勒而出，杯口向外爬出一螭龍，旁雕兩爬行河螺，杯身下連接一根較粗的蓮莖，其周圍透雕葉莖、花莖及一根禾穗纏繞，並有另一螭龍爬行其上，配硬木座。

據貼於該玉杯殘留的標識可推斷，該玉杯應來自英國Spink & Son公司。在清代宮廷雕刻藝術中，用稻穗、蓮葉以及螭龍三者為主題紋飾通常出現在犀角雕刻作品中。此玉杯之造型便應是模仿犀角杯而雕，其工藝水準非普通工匠而能達成。阿瑟賽克勒（Arthur M. Sackler）舊藏一件犀牛角雕蓮葉螭龍杯可以說是此白玉杯的原形，其雕刻工藝及紋飾佈局於該玉杯都如出一轍，參見霍滿堂，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，頁141，圖版92 （fig.1）。

Category: Asian Art

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