A rare small rhinoceros horn 'Zhang Qian in a Raft' pouring vessel


17th/18th centuryNaturalistically carved as a long hollowed log raft tapering at the prow into a spout, elaborately carved in high relief at the centre of the raft with the figure Zhang Qian seated amidst dense branches of flowers and lotus, the figure holding a fly-whisk in his left hand, all above undulating waves carved in low relief on the underside, the horn of an attractive dark honey tone. 13cm (5 1/8in) long.
|十七/十八世紀 犀角雕張騫乘槎水注The present lot exhibits masterful craftsmanship in the all-round naturalistic execution of the gnarled raft, beautifully capturing the wizened figure of the Han dynasty Imperial envoy and official, Zhang Qian, and displaying whimsical creativity in the depiction of the lotus issuing from the branches. The tip is pierced into a spout, which suggests that the present lot would have been used as a water dropper. Together with the elaborate reticulated carvings of the branches, it would have required scrupulous attention to detail; for a discussion of these raft vessels, see J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp.77-80.The present lot depicts the story of the Han dynasty statesman, traveller and explorer Zhang Qian, floating up the River of Heaven in a log boat to explore the Western Regions (Xiyu 西域). The historical Zhang Qian did in fact play an integral role in establishing an east-west route opening China to the world of commercial trade and major trade routes such as the renowned Silk Road.This 'Zhang Qian on a raft' pouring vessel belongs to a small group of rhinoceros horn carvings, which are similar in the general form of a hollowed log but with variations in the appearance of the raft and depictions of Zhang Qian who variously holds a book, a ruyi sceptre, a lotus and a fly-whisk. Examples of these Zhang Qian raft vessels are held in important museums and private collections including: one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Jiangxin yu xiangong: Ming Qing diaoke zhan (Uncanny Ingenuity and Celestial Feats: The Carvings of Ming and Qing Dynasties), Taipei, 2011, no.30; three in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, nos.118-120; four in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, with one illustrated by J.Chapman, Ibid., pl.47; one in the Shanghai Museum and another in the collection of Harvard University Art Museum, illustrated by T.Fok in Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, nos.70 and 71; and two others in private collections, illustrated by T.Fok, Ibid., nos.73 and 74. This very special group of rhinoceros horn carvings may have been inspired by the well-known silver example formerly in the collection of Lady David, inscribed with a poem and artist's seal Bishan denoting Zhu Bishan, a silversmith active during the 14th century, illustrated in Chinese Art Under the Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Cleveland Museum of Art, 1968, no.37.See a related larger rhinoceros horn log-raft with a carving of Zhang Qian, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 November 2017, lot 51.此器以張騫為材，手執拂塵，倚坐於木槎之上，配以朽木枯枝，精雕細琢，線條圓潤，頗為別緻。器身前端置孔，作水注之用，而有關於此類槎形犀角雕刻的討論，請參閱J.Chapman著，《中國犀角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，頁77-80。據史書所載，張騫奉武帝之命，出使西域，遊說大宛、大月氏等西域小國聯合對付漠北匈奴的威脅。張騫出使西域，打通天山南北二路，後世商賈皆以此道交通聯絡，並加速東西經濟及文化交流，成就後世所知的「絲綢之路」，貢獻良多。民間以張騫的史蹟加以渲染，穿鑿附會，傳說張騫為尋訪河源，乘槎逆流上天河，遇見牛郎織女，並帶回支機石。此類以張騫乘槎的器皿為數不多，而雕琢風格相似，內部皆掏空，但各執經卷、如意、蓮花或拂塵。相似例子可見於世界各大博物館收藏，其中一例由台北國立故宮博物院所藏，曾於「匠心與仙工：明清雕刻展」展出，並著錄於該展特展圖錄《象牙犀角篇》，台北，2011年，編號30。清宮舊藏亦有三例，載於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：竹木牙角雕刻》，香港，2002年，編號118-120。另外四例則藏於愛爾蘭都柏林查士特圖書館，其中一件著錄於J.Chapman著，《中國犀角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，圖47；上海博物館及美國哈佛大學藝術博物館各藏一例，詳見霍滿棠著，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，編號70及71；以及匿名私人收藏二例，見同上，編號73及74。此類人物乘槎的犀角器皿頗有可能受同類造型的銀器而啟發。其中一例為大維德爵士夫人舊藏，此器同樣作張騫乘槎之態，底部刻有詩文以及「碧山」款，應為十四世紀活躍於嘉興地區的銀匠朱碧山所作，載於《Chinese Art Under the Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)》，克里夫蘭藝術博物館，1968年，編號37。香港邦瀚斯曾於2017年11月28日拍賣相關一件十七/十八世紀犀角雕張騫乘槎水注，拍品51號。此器尺寸較大，但形制相似，可資比對。