Description：A RHINOCEROS HORN 'CHILONG AND PRUNUS' LIBATION CUP, EARLY TO MID-QING China, 17th-18th century. Exquisitely carved with a flaring upper body tapering to a small foot, with blossoms and buds growing from gnarled prunus branches, a larger branch and a clambering chilong forming two openworked handles, the chilong with furcated tail peering over the rim, a smaller chilong clambering below the spout. Inscriptions: Incised to base, 'Xuan Yi He'. Probably an ancient collector's mark. Provenance: Old Viennese private collection and thence by descent in the same family to the present owner. Condition: Superb condition with only minor wear, natural age cracks which in some areas have developed minuscule losses, possibly due to insect bite, a chip to one blossom, overall remarkably well-preserved. Weight: 298.4 g (the libation cup) and 56.1 g (the base) Dimensions: Width 16 cm, Height 9.3 cm (excl. base) and 12.8 cm (incl. base) With a matching and neatly fitted hardwood base from the same period, openworked with ruyi-head feet and supported on stretchers, the circular rim with a band of key-fret. Pierced to the center. Fine naturally grown patina to the wood. (2) Expert's note: This libation cup is notable for its sublime natural color, which is especially remarkable in sunlight, which partially penetrates the material to create an overall spectacular array of color nuances, altogether not visible in artificial light. Please request our natural sunlight video which was specially created to depict this amazing effect. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related rhinoceros horn libation cup, also with a clambering chilong peering over the rim, dated 17th-18th century, but of smaller size and carved to the interior with magnolia petals, at Bonhams London in Fine Chinese Art on 11 November 2010, lot 257, sold for GBP 90,000. This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore this item can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person. 清代初期至中期犀角雕蟠螭花卉杯 中國，十七至十八世紀。杯身呈喇叭狀，敞口漸細至小足，以浮雕、透雕手法刻畫花枝葉蔓與蟠螭。攀爬的蟠螭如鏤空的把手。刀法粗獷有力、樸拙厚重而不失精巧。 提款: 底足可見“宣一和”字樣。可能是舊時藏家所留。 來源：維也納私人老收藏，保存在同一家族直至現任持有人。 品相：狀況極佳，只有輕微磨損，局部自然老化裂縫已經產生了微小的缺損，也可能是被昆蟲所咬，有一朵花有開口，整體保存極好。 重量：298.4 克 (犀角杯) 與56.1 克 (底座) 尺寸：寬 16 厘米，高9.3 厘米 (不含底座)，縂12.8 厘米(含底座) 配套的同期硬木底座，鏤空如意頭足，圓形縮頸，雷紋裝飾帶。底座有自然生長的包漿。 專家注釋：犀角杯色彩自然，在陽光下尤為顯著，局部可穿透犀角，色彩有細微差別，在人造光下完全看不到。我們專門為描繪這種驚人效果而製作了自然光視頻，如有需要請垂詢。 拍賣結果比較：一件相近的犀角杯，同樣可見蟠螭，十七至十八世紀，但稍小，杯内可見玉蘭花，見倫敦邦翰思 Fine Chinese Art 2010年11月11日 lot 257, 售價GBP 90,000。