An exceptionally rare rhinoceros horn 'Ode to the Red Cliffs' libation cup


Zhuang Houzhi seal mark, 17th centuryThe horn of an outstanding golden honey tone, exquisitely carved in various levels of relief and in openwork to depict a scene from the 'Ode to the Red Cliff' portraying the poets Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, and the monk Foyin seated in a boat rowed by a boatman, accompanied by another small boat passing beside a bridge on a river flowing tortuously through jagged cliffs and rocky outcrops, and cascading into the underside of the foot, beneath gnarled pine and wutong trees and swirling clouds, the handle superbly carved in openwork and high relief with gnarled and knotted pine branches extending into the interior of the cup, the jagged rockwork opposite the handle incised with an eight-character inscription, the reverse carved in shallow relief with a twenty-eight character poem Chibitu, 'Scene of the Red Cliff', ending with a square seal reading Zhuang Houzhi yin, the interior intricately carved in high relief with a writhing dragon, elaborate wood stand and box. 13.3cm (5 1/4in) long (4).
|十七世紀 犀角雕「赤壁圖」杯「莊后之印」篆文印Provenance:Christie's London, 4 December 1997, lot 399Songzhutang Collection, USChristie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1710Angela Chua Collection, Hong KongExhibited:Hong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005 Published and Illustrated:T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p.184, no.132來源：倫敦佳士得，1997年12月4日，拍品399松竹堂收藏香港佳士得，2008年5月27日，拍品1710香港蔡劉木蘭女士收藏展覽：2002-2005年間於香港藝術館《金木水火土：香港文物收藏精品展》中展出出版及著錄：霍滿棠，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，頁184，圖132The inscription on the rock face opposite to the handle reads:Yu feng lai hu, sui shui lai longwhich may be translated as:'Tiger comes with the wind and dragon comes with the water.'The twenty-eight character poem titled Chibutu (Scene of Red Cliff) maybe be translated as:'The overnight rain in the valley has turned a thousand rocks green;A hundred waterfalls and ten thousand trees roar in chorus.The scene should be celebrated by a poem;The days in the mountain are unforgettable.'The cup successfully demonstrates the craftsman's consummate ability in using differing layers of relief to render the varying depth in the landscape as well as a great precision in the carving of the inscription, conveying a sense of dynamism and liveliness in the scene.The exquisite and meticulous carving illustrate a scene inspired by the famous literary work 'Ode to the Red Cliff' composed by the renowned poet Su Shi (1037-1101), which refers to the visits to the scenic site of the Red Cliffs by Su Shu with his companions Huang Tingjian and the monk Foyin. The image of the poet travelling in a boat with his companions was very popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and was frequently used as decoration on various media including porcelain, jade and rhinoceros horn. Compare with other rhinoceros horn libation cups decorated with this subject matter, illustrated by J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp.210-212, pls.289-291; and T.Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, nos.130 and 132-133, and 137.此器以「赤壁圖」為題材，採用浮雕、透雕等工藝雕成連貫的山水人物。懸崖峭壁上長出蒼松翠柏，雲霧漫天；河裡微波蕩漾，泛一輕舟，船家掌櫓導航，舟中坐著蘇東坡、黃庭堅和佛印和尚，仰頭觀景並訴說典故。側面山石中聳立古松翠柏，枝葉茂盛，一直向杯內伸展，松幹巧妙地成為杯柄。正面峭壁上陰刻「遇風來虎，隨水來龍」字句。後面接連立體的山石和小橋流水，水波紋向杯底連綿伸延。河崖邊泛著另一小舟，崖壁上刻陽文題「赤壁圖」七言絕詩， 並雕一陽文方章「莊后之印」。此杯雕刻逼真生動，充滿活力，雕工精細，刻字功力高深，顏色蜜黃，實屬難得一見的珍品。器身題詩：赤壁圖一谿宿雨千巖碧 百道飛泉萬樹聲此景寫來應有語何時不記住山情此作品所雕畫的是北宋著名詩人蘇軾(1037-1101)所著《赤壁賦》中其與黃庭堅、佛印和尚泛舟遊赤壁的情景。「蘇東坡夜遊赤壁」在明清兩代是雕刻藝術家常用之題材，亦常見於以其他材料製成的作品上，包括瓷器、玉器、犀角杯等。相關例子可參考J.Chapman，《中國犀角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，頁210-212，圖289-291；亦參看霍滿棠著，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，圖130，132-133及137。