A RARE AND EXCEPTIONALLY CARVED RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP, BY BAO TIANCHENG 17TH CENTURY

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of gently flaring form, intricately carved in various levels of relief around the exterior, depicting a lady and child standing at the door of a retreat conversing with two scholars, beneath a pine tree and wutong, with a further scholar and attendant standing with a crane and dog beneath bamboo and beside a sampan being loaded with objects, in a rustic river landscape beneath steep cliffs and swirling clouds, the trunk and branches of one pine tree extending into the interior of the cup, opposite a branch of wutong issuing from the side of a cliff, signed to one side Bao Tiancheng, the horn of a dark honey tone

A Private European Collection.
Rare Art, New York, 31st October 1979.  

Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 121.

There is a buffalo horn replacement at the foot 2cm by 1.5cm. The carving has a few insignificant nicks and chips including a small missing piece of the rock on the water section on the side of a figure handing something to the man in the boat. The rim has a few short natural age cracks. The surface patina is lustrous.
"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 magnificent libation cup is a rare and exceptionally fine example by Bao Tiancheng, one of the leading rhinoceros horn carvers of the late Ming period. Recorded as having worked in Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province during the Wanli period, Bao Tiancheng's carving was described by the author Zhang Dai in his late Ming text Tao'an mengyi (Memoir of the Clay Studio) as 'safely regarded as unmatched in the hundred years past and to come'. Considering the extent of Bao Tiancheng's recognition during even his lifetime, very few pieces that bear his signature are known, including a ewer and cover in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 117 (fig. 1); a raft in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, published in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 122 (fig. 2); a carving of a reclining stag in the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection, included in Jan Chapman, op. cit., pls 56 and 120; and an ear cup sold at Christie's London, 7^th November 2006, lot 53. The breadth of range of his signed works reveals that he was a remarkably versatile carver who was able to fashion various shapes and styles from the demanding material to the highest standard.

With the emergence of the technique of three dimensional carving in rhinoceros horn during the late Ming period, a parallel fashion for exceptionally deep undercutting into the horn arose. The finely modelled trees create a sense of depth through the complex matrix of overlapping branches and are a stunning display of technical virtuosity. This libation cup further embodies the characteristic features of late-Ming rhinoceros horn carving, such as the maximised used of the original horn as seen in the rounded contours of the cup, and the highly finished and polished plain surfaces, which also serve an aesthetic contrast with the detailing of the figures and trees. 

The scarcity of the material and the medicinal and mystical powers it was believed to hold, rhinoceros horn carvings are one of the most valued Chinese works of art, and only approximately 4000 works are believed to exist. Comparable examples of late Ming rhinoceros horn cups carved by contemporaries of Bao Tiancheng include one by Zhou Wenshu, carved in a similar style and inscribed with the maker's mark, Wenshu, from the Songzhutang collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31^st May 2010, lot 1813; and another carved with a scene from the Ode to the Red Cliff, in the Franklin Chow collection, illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 130, together with a large cup depicting a rocky landscape with pine trees, pl. 131. See also a large rhinoceros-horn libation cup carved with a scene from the 'Preface to the Scholarly Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion' and with the maker's mark Wu Heng, from the Songzhutang collection, sold in our New York rooms, 22-23^rd March 1999, lot 430, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 31^st May 2010, lot 1824.