A Carved Rhinoceros Horn 'Plantain' Cup By You Kan, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period

the highly polished amber and dark brown coloured cup superbly carved as a cup-shaped furled plantain leaf, with veining running across the interior and exterior, wrapped on the exterior in openwork with the leaf overhanging on one side and extending across the bottom of the cup and the other side of the cup with folded furls, two insects perched on the exterior with their heads concealed by the handle, a thin gnarled branch issuing small globular fruits and leaves emerging from the base and extending along the handle with a thin twig resting on the interior bearing leaves and a small fruit, the side with an incised signature Zhisheng (studio name hao of You Kan)

The overall condition is very good. One section of the top of the tree branch extending onto the rim has an approximately 2 x 2 cm. replacement. There is an approximately 1.5 cm. age crack that has been filled in to the rim and a minute insect nibble on the leaf forming the handle.
"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."

The present rhinoceros horn cup, which bears the name of the 17th century master carver You Kan, alternative name hao Zhisheng, is delicately carved with natural details. You's works are well known and documented – there are more pieces bearing his name than that of any other rhinoceros horn carver recorded. Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp. 139-40, mentions that he was a Palace carver active in the early Qing period. He was extremely versatile with his designs and his techniques described as careful and conscientious with an emphasis on realism especially when depicting flowers and animals. The sophistication of his work is expressed in the skilful use of the material and in the spacing of the design which frequently takes advantage of the organic form and fibrous inclusions of the material.

For a closely related rhinoceros horn signed Zhisheng in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, see Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 347. The Chester Beatty cup differs from the current cup in that it is carved in the form of a lotus leaf, but it shares the same depiction of the praying mantis to the interior. See a rhinoceros horn ‘lotus leaf’ also by You Kan, illustrated by René-Yvon Lefebvre d'Argencé, Treasures from the Shanghai Museum: 6,000 Years of Chinese Art, Shanghai and San Francisco, 1983, pl. 121.

It is believed that You Kan was the famous horn carver known as You Bei (‘Rhinoceros horn cup You’), who resided in Wuxi, Jiangsu and was summoned the Kangxi Emperor to court and work in the imperial workshop; see Li Wufang, Zhongguo yishujia zhenglue [Brief introduction of Chinese artists], Hong Kong, 1911 (reprint Beijing, 1914), n.p. A rhinoceros horn cup carved with mandarin ducks bearing the signature of You Kan (Zhisheng) is preserved in the collection of the Beijing Palace Museum, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo. Wood. Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 17.