An exceptionally rare and large rhinoceros horn archaistic libation cup


Signed Rui Zhi, 17th/18th century Boldly carved in the form of an archaic gong vessel, decorated in low relief around the exterior with a central band of taotie masks reserved on a leiwen ground, in between narrower bands of stylised dragons, all divided by seven rows of flanges with diaper-patterns, five writhing chilong clambering up the broad S-shaped handle, confronting a further three dynamic chilong in the interior carved in high relief, the interior of the recessed foot carved with two square seals in zhuanshu script, the horn of a lustrous dark caramel-brown tone.16.5cm (6 1/2in) long.
|十七/十八世紀 犀角雕螭龍仿古饕餮紋觥形杯Provenance: A distinguished European private collection, on loan to the Oriental Museum, Durham, from the mid-1970s to circa 2011來源：顯貴歐洲私人收藏，於70年代中旬至大約2011年借展予英國道咸大學東方藝術館Published and Illustrated:J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp.135 and 154, figs.147 and 187出版及著錄：J.Chapman著，《The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China(中國的犀牛角雕刻藝術)》，倫敦，1999年，頁154，圖187The present lot is extremely rare, being one of only three recorded rhinoceros horn carvings with the signature or seal of Rui Zhi (瑞止). The seal above is that of the carver with the Studio name 'Yong Zhu Ju' (永竹居) which may be translated as 'Residence of Perpetual Bamboo'. It is most likely that the scholar or gentleman who resided in this studio commissioned this rhinoceros horn libation cup from Rui Zhi. The finely carved archaistic design of the present cup, as demonstrated by the taotie mask motif and chilong, as well as the literati studio seal mark, reflect the scholarly trend of the 'search for evidence' (kaozheng 考證) movement beginning in the early 17th century. Although this movement originated from a renewed scholarly interest in ancient texts and inscriptions on archaic bronzes, as literati sought a more empirical approach to understanding their ancient heritage, it led to a greater fascination for decorative designs adopted from ancient bronzes too. Responding to commissions from scholars, artisans like Rui Zhi reproduced the motifs and patterns of ancient bronzes on their rhinoceros horns libation cups. The motif of a larger adult dragon, and smaller younger ones, has been interpreted as conveying the message of the father teaching his son the way of life, and within the Imperial family, that of the emperor giving lessons to the princes.The only other two rhinoceros horn carvings that have been recorded with the signature Rui Zhi, are both cyclically dated to the cyclical Dingchou (丁丑) year: the first, an archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup with stylised animals, signed Rui Zhi, Dinghai year, from the H.G.Beasley Collection, is illustrated by P.Moss, Emperor, Scholar, Artisan, Monk: The Creative Personality in Chinese Works of Art, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1984, pp.182-183, no.58. Thomas Fok proposes that the date for this cup should be taken as AD 1697; see T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p.58, no.11. The second cup with the seal of Rui Zhi, decorated with chrysanthemums, dated Dingchou year, is in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, and illustrated by J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p.135, fig.146. Compare also with a related rhinoceros horn libation cup decorated with archaistic taotie and dragons, signed You Yiliang, 17th century, illustrated by T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p.75, no.28.杯圓唇略侈，流口上翹，沿下減地淺浮雕拐子螭龍紋，杯身上起一層，淺浮雕仿古饕餮紋，雷紋填地，四棱及四面正中出齒棱，棱面陰刻回紋，圈足束收，略微外撇，足身起地一層，上雕螭龍紋，如杯身出八棱，面飾回紋。杯底刻陽文「永竹居」、陰文「瑞止」印二方。杯身一側鏤空雕扁平鋬，其上淺浮雕榖紋，且雕四隻螭龍攀附其上，內壁一側亦雕三隻螭龍沿壁上攀。杯色如琥珀，比其深鬱。此件犀角杯取形商周青銅觥，加以明末以來流行的螭龍紋樣，形制古穆，又添新意，時人以兕觥稱之。明代中晚期以來，市民階層興起，社會好古之風昌熾，工藝品器形常追三代，紋飾遠溯先秦。金玉銅鐵，竹牙犀象等材質皆有仿古佳作。匠人地位亦有所提高，器物上常留款識，然其名又不及留諸字紙，至今多湮沒無稽可攷矣。此杯作者「瑞止」不見於文獻，同款見於海外私藏者則有兩件：一件為瑞止丁丑款犀角杯，英國實業家H.G.Beasley舊藏，著錄於 P.Moss，《Emperor, Scholar, Artisan, Monk: The Creative Personality in Chinese Works of Art》，倫敦，1984年，頁182至183，編號58；另一件為瑞止丁丑款菊花犀角杯，愛爾蘭都柏林切斯特·比替圖書館收藏，著錄於 J.Chapman，《The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China》，倫敦，1999年，頁135，圖146。霍滿棠認為丁丑年即是1697年，蓋因明清交替之際常不署年號，又正是匠藝和文藝結合，雕刻藝術登峰造極的時期，見霍滿棠著，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，頁58，編號11。另可參考一件十七世紀犀角雕古銅紋龍杯，款署尤以良，見前書，頁75，編號28。