Footnotes

十七/十八世紀 犀角雕鷹熊合卺杯

Provenance:
An important European private collection

來源：
重要歐洲私人收藏

Vases of this form are known as 'champion vases', which refers to the vessel's twin-tubular compartments connected by an eagle (ying) and a bear (xiong), together forming the pun yingxiong 'champion' or 'hero', which means to invoke conjugal happiness.

In form, the vase was inspired by earlier bronzes, such as the Tang dynasty 'champion' vase depicted in the Xiqing Gujian, 1751, illustrated by M.Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p.106, pl.107, which itself draws on Western Han dynasty examples. Similarly, in design the use of the kui dragons harks back to those decorating late Shang dynasty archaic bronze ritual vessels; the representation of antiquity was meant to advocate associated qualities of the ancient culture such as sincerity, simplicity and happy exuberance.

This form is particularly rare in rhinoceros horn; however, related rhinoceros horn 'champion' vases can be found in important museum and private collections: see a late Ming dynasty example of faceted form, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory, and Rhinoceros Horn Carving, Hong Kong, 2002, pp.149-150, pl.132; another 'champion' vase, 18th century, in the Florence and Herbert Irving collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.2015.500.6.15; two further examples, 18th century, in the collection of Dora Wong and the Shanghai Museum, respectively, are illustrated by T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pp.90-91, nos.43 and 44 (with Jin Fu Baochang and Tiancheng gongzhi marks); and another 'champion' vase, in the Museum voor Volkenkunde, Rotterdam, see J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p.101, pl.88.

Champion vases were popular during the 17th and 18th centuries and were produced in other materials including jade, bronze, cloisonné enamel and porcelain. See a rare gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel 'champion' vase and cover, 18th century, which was sold in these rooms, 3 December 2015, lot 15; a jade example, Qianlong, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, pl.17.

杯作雙聯式，斜直壁，高足。口、足雕迴紋，外壁雕夔龍紋，外壁雕一鷹一熊，鷹獸面有耳，雙翅伸展，尾羽捲曲於杯後，鷹爪下有一熊，身體跨兩杯前後。鷹熊取諧音「英雄」，又稱為合卺杯，為古代成婚的一種形式，取其二杯相連，永不分離之意。

此合卺杯紋飾仿漢代青銅彝器，造型特異，古色古香，類似造型在《西清古鑑》上亦有出現，見M.Wilson，《Chinese Jades》，倫敦，2004年，頁106，圖107。

以犀角雕刻之合卺杯傳世不多，見北京故宮博物院藏明晚期一例，著錄於《故宮博物院珍藏文物珍品全集：竹木牙角雕刻》，香港，2002年，頁149-150，圖132；另見紐約大都會博物館藏十八世紀一例（博物館編號.2015.500.6.15）；另見黃蕙英女士及上海博物館藏兩例，著錄於霍滿堂，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，頁90-91，圖43及44，後者杯底刻陽文「晉府寶藏」及「天成恭製」篆書款。另見荷蘭國立民族學博物館藏一例，見J.Chapman，《The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China》，倫敦，1999年，頁101，圖88。

此式合卺杯於十七至十八世紀亦用其他材質製作，見十八世紀銅胎掐絲琺瑯一例，後由香港邦瀚斯售出，2015年12月3日，拍品15；台北故宮博物院藏玉雕合卺杯一例，見《宮廷之雅：清代仿古及畫意玉器特展圖錄》，台北，1997年，圖17。