A very rare rhinoceros horn 'chrysanthemum' vase, Juban ping


Kangxi six-character mark, Qing DynastyThe ovoid body exquisitely carved in low relief with a band of slender chrysanthemum petals above the slightly spreading foot, elegantly rising to a tall trumpet neck with a flaring rim, the material of an attractive dark amber tone, the base carved in low relief with the six-character mark, box. 17.2cm (6 3/4in) high (2).
|清 犀角雕菊瓣瓶「大清康熙年製」楷書刻款Provenance:Songzhutang Collection, USAngela Chua Collection, Hong Kong來源：松竹堂收藏香港蔡劉木蘭女士收藏This type of symmetrically carved vases would have required material of considerable size hence extant examples of rhinoceros horn vases are scarce. The outstanding craftsmanship of this lot is demonstrated in the elegant proportion and fluid outline of the vessel as well as the meticulously carved chrysanthemum petals in relief, conveying a sense of subtle sophistication.The vase is inspired in form by the Imperial porcelain peachbloom-glazed vases, Kangxi mark and period. Vessels of this form are known as juban ping, 'chrysanthemum petal vase', and belong to a group of eight literati objects for the scholar's desk, produced in peachbloom and clair-de-lune glazes; see a peachbloom-glazed chrysanthemum vase, Kangxi mark and period, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Shanghai, 1999, p.21, no.18. Chrysanthemum represents autumn and belongs to 'the Four Gentlemen of Flowers' in China together with the lotus, orchid and bamboo. It is associated with longevity and wealth from its similar sound to the word jiu 久, which means 'long enduring'. The use of chrysanthemums as decorations reached a peak of popularity during the reigns of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors.Compare a related rhinoceros horn baluster-shaped vase, laifu, Kangxi mark, Qing dynasty, similarly inspired by Imperial peachbloom-glazed porcelain vases of the Kangxi period, carved around the neck with three raised bow-string, illustrated by T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p.177, no.126, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 3150.此瓶撇口，細長頸，圓肩，肩以下漸斂，圈足。近足處凸雕一周細長的菊瓣紋，故稱菊瓣瓶。底部刻陽文「大清康熙年製」楷書款。此器菊瓣紋樣清晰，線條優美，比例得當，造型淡雅，與康熙宮廷專用名瓷豇豆紅菊瓣瓶的造型相同。北京故宮博物院藏一件清宮舊藏清康熙豇豆紅釉菊瓣瓶可資參考，帶「大清康熙年製」楷書款，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：顏色釉》，上海，1999年，頁21，編號18。康熙豇豆紅釉器多為文房用具或擺設等小件器物，著名的「八大碼」包括菊瓣瓶、柳葉瓶、萊菔尊、蟠龍瓶、洗、太白尊、蘋果尊及印盒。此器應為文房用品。菊花與梅花、蘭花、翠竹被稱為「四君子」，象徵文人雅士孤標亮節、高雅傲霜的氣質，亦有堅韌及長壽的意味。由於犀角瓶體積較高且直，製作類似器物時必須取材於犀角的中心，用料相對較大，且耗費甚多，故此類犀角雕瓶製作不多，傳世品中極為罕見。完全相同之例至今仍未有見，但同樣與康熙豇豆紅釉瓷器造型相同之例，松竹堂舊藏一件犀角雕萊菔瓶可資參考，見霍滿棠，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，頁177，圖126，後於香港蘇富比售出，2013年10月8日，拍品3150。