A CARVED RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of flower form, carved to the exterior with a phoenix standing amongst leafy peony, lotus, aster and camellia blossoms rising from a reticulated rock base, the horn of rich toffee tone darkening at the base

The cup is in good condition with the exception of a 0.2 x 0.2cm chip to the rim, a circa 2.5cm loss to the camellia branch at the bottom and the leafy tips at the top, a 0.5 x 0.3cm loss to the tip of a lotus petal, minor nicks to the tips of the phoenix plumage (the crown and the tail), a triangular area (0.5 x 0.5cm) of loss and five circa 3-4cm cracks with associated sub-cracks to the base, and other minor nicks and cracks to the extremities of the carving. There are numerous faint linear cracks running down the interior of the cup. The horn is of a darker brownish tone compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Rhinoceros horn vessels carved with the pleasing design of phoenix are unusual, although one bearing the motif of two phoenix against a rocky background, in the collection of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, is illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 254. See also a cup finely carved with pairs of various birds including phoenix and cranes perched on rocks or depicted in flight, sold at Christie's New York, 19^th September 2007, lot 3.

Vessels decorated with the bird motif are more frequently found with cranes; for example see one carved with a pair, also in the Chester Beatty collection included ibid., p. 186, pl. 253, where Chapman notes that the long-legged crane is generally seen in the decoration of cups showing the land of immortals. While phoenix sybolizes the empress, cranes are generally associated with the God of Immortality, Shou Lao, thereby representing the auspicious wish for immortality.

The present finely carved and well preserved cup is also attractive for its deep honey colouration and for the floral decoration that pays homage to four of the most popular flower types in the carvers' repertoire - the peony, lotus, aster and camellia blossoms. The fashion in which the lotus stems have been tied together with a thick rope is tactfully executed bringing a quint addition to the overall design.  See a lotus-form cup, where several stems have been bunched together by a piece of straw, included in Dr. Ip Yee, 'Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings', Antiques Fair Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1982, p. 35, fig. 28; another piece carved with a lotus stalk and cereal grass tied together with a ribbon, from the collection of Thomas Fok, published in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 97; and a vessel where the carver has created an openwork design by binding several lotus stalks together with a millet grass, from the collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8^th April 2011, lot 2715.