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A carved rhinoceros horn archaistic 'six chilong' libation cup…
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
6-Apr-2016
Lot No.
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Description:
A carved rhinoceros horn archaistic 'six chilong' libation cup Qing dynasty, 17th/18th century, carved with steeply flared sides, the exterior decorated in low relief with a frieze of taotie masks against a finely defined leiwen ground divided by raised vertical flanges, below a key-fret band encircling the mouth on the exterior and interior, and carved in high relief with a pair of chilong with sinuous bodies and bifurcated tails below the broad spout, and a further pair either side of the handle formed by two further chilong in pierced relief, their heads and front legs extending over the rim, 15 cm wide. Provenance: The Zorich Collection, Adelaide . This cup is notable for the depiction of the chilong modelled in the round against the finely carved low relief surface. Their different stances bring a sense of movement to the composition. This piece belongs to a well-known group of rhinoceros horn vessels decorated in an archaic style with motifs found on archaic bronzes, jades and lacquer. These vessels were popular with the nobility who were keen collectors of ancient artefacts., Compare with a similar cup from the collection of Stella Pitt-Rivers sold Sotheby's, London, 15 June 1979, lot 130, another sold Sotheby's, London 13 May 1988, lot 484, and a third sold Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 8 April 2014, lot 3018
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified