A rhinoceros horn archaistic libation cup


17th/18th centuryCarved from a horn of an attractive dark-chocolate tone and raised on a gently spread foot, the tapering body decorated in relief to each side with an archaistic taotie mask reserved on leiwen ground, separated by notched flanges, the handle formed with two chilong clambering and biting the flared rim encircled by a key-fret band opposite to the spout. 14.6cm (5 3/4in) long
|十七/十八世紀 犀角仿古饕餮紋蟠螭耳盃Provenance: an important European private collection來源： 重要歐洲私人收藏The present libation cup is finely carved with taotie masks inspired by those adorning archaic bronzes; similarly its form with an elongated spout was probably inspired by the jue wine vessel. Such archaistic decoration harked back not only to the form and decoration but to the idealised morals of early China, whilst allowing the contemporary carver to transform and reinterpret the form and decoration.Compare with a related rhinoceros horn libation cup with archaistic taotie decoration against a key-fret diaper, with clambering chilong in the Staatliches Museum fur Volkerkunde, Munich, illustrated by J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p.152, pl.184; see also another similar rhinoceros cup in the Chester Beatty Library, illustrated in ibid., p.247, pl.361.See also a related rhinoceros horn cup, 17th/18th century, which was sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 30 May 2017, lot 137.