晩明 尤通製犀角雕「張騫乘槎」盃 「再來花甲子」字 《尤》《雨源》印

superbly carved in varying relief with the figure of Zhang Qian, the great Han statesman and explorer, resting on a panel bridging over the sides of a log-raft behind a lotus flower stemming from the interior of the vessel, the figure grasping the cords of his robes in his left hand and a thin arched sprig in his right hand, the sprig extending upwards and over his head into a thick gnarled leafy branch issuing prunus and lotus flowers, the raft exquisitely formed as a long hollowed segment of a gnarled tree trunk, the broad central cavity tapering at the prow forming the twig-entwined spout, a further thin twig adjacent to the spout stemming outward, the opposite end carved as a stern with a flared undulating rim, all atop swirling waves carved in low relief to the underside and rising from the base to crest gently against the side of the stern, one side carved in low relief with Zai lai huajiazi ['Again comes a sexagenary cycle'], followed by a circular seal and square seal reading You and Yuyuan respectively, the horn of a deep brown tone lightening to a warm honey brown tone towards the tip

W. Fleisher 收藏， 斯德哥爾摩
Edwin Meader 收藏，Kalamazoo，密西根州

Bo Gyllensvärd，《Two Yuan Silver Cups and Their Importance for Dating of Some Carvings in Wood and Rhinoceros Horn》，BMFEA 43，斯德哥爾摩，1971年，圖版5

The cup is in very good condition with very minor age cracks to the underside. The patina is very smooth and well preserved. There are a few polished down insect nibbles.
"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."

本品犀角雕「張騫乘槎」器，晚明匠師尤通仙手妙製，堪稱極佳上品，同類者無不望塵莫及。可比肩者，見一略小盃例，亦為尤通所製，清宮舊藏，現存北京，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．竹木牙角雕刻》，香港，2002年，圖版119（圖一）。此盃內鐫乾隆御題銘文，紀乾隆四十七年（1782）。銘文詠贊尤通巧雕神刻，技藝超群，並道明尤雨源即尤通。

除上述外，目前最大犀角槎器收藏，位於都柏林切斯特比替圖書館，共有四例，其一錄Jan Chapman，《中國的犀牛角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，圖版47。其它可見舊金山亞洲藝術博物館，此例張騫手持拂塵，圖版48；另一例，藏巴黎裝飾藝術博物館，尤通製，載 Jan Chapman，〈The Use of Manipulation in Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Cups〉，《Arts of Asia》，1982年7-8月，圖6。再見一例，現藏台北國立故宮博物院，同刻乾隆御題銘文，紀乾隆四十七年（1782），曾借展於1935年倫敦皇家美術學院，見《參加倫敦中國藝術國際展覽會出品圖說》，北京，1936年，編號60（或倫敦版圖錄，編號2948），同見展覽《匠心與仙工：明清雕刻展》，國立故宮博物院，台北，2011年，圖版30。

相關拍賣作例，可見一槎，Kenyon V. Painter 舊藏，售於紐約蘇富比2006年9月21日，編號8。另見一例，仇焱之及仇大雄舊藏，售於香港蘇富比2013年10月8日，編號3239。

Bo Gyllesnvard 在其文中列舉兩槎例，瑞典國王珍藏，見〈Two Yuan Silver Cups and Their Importance for Dating of Some Carvings in Wood and Rhinoceros Horn〉，《Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities》，斯德哥爾摩，圖版4-5。同文，作者另錄一元代銀槎（圖版3），並論述其應為犀雕「張騫乘槎」之雛本。另可參考三例銀槎，鐫朱碧山印，紀元至正五年（1345），分藏台北故宮，北京故宮及克里夫蘭美術館，錄於 Jan Chapman，《中國的犀牛角雕刻藝術》，前述出處，圖版382-4。

本品「張騫乘槎」犀雕，為槎雕一門中之典範。材者，取亞洲厚沿犀角；工者，精雕大漢尋源使張騫。張騫，首位出使中亞之漢官，一生致力通使，鞠躬盡瘁，獨創史詩功業，世人感念，多賦予其道骨仙風之形象。據傳，張騫出使，為尋揚子之江源，探天河之永盡，習葡酒之釀法。正因如此，後世酒器多取其題材。回觀本品，整體仿雕中空樹槎，槎尾張騫面帶抿笑，凝目遠視，膝托書卷，側懸葫蘆，恰似方飲美酒，悠悠暢快。此品類槎雕，工藝複雜玄妙，於各門中唯屬最難。Jan Chapman在其書中曾詳討此類器之工序，並結論「非至嫻之手不敢試之」，詳見《中國的犀牛角雕刻藝術》，前述出處，頁101-105。