A very rare rhinoceros horn 'Zhang Qian in a raft' pouring vessel

17th/18th century

Footnotes

十七/十八世紀 犀角雕張騫乘槎水注

Provenance:
An important European private collection, and thence by descent

Published and Illustrated:
J.Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp.79-80, pl.50

來源：
重要歐洲私人收藏，後由家族繼承

出版及著錄：
J.Chapman，《中國犀角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，頁79-80，圖50

This type of 'raft' vessel is one of the most challenging rhinoceros horn carvings, which would have been carved from the thick skirt of the horn on the shorter curve with pieces of solid horn carefully scooped out below the figure while a small pillar is precisely retained to support the bridge on which Zhang Qian sits. The tip is pierced into a spout, which suggests that these vessels would have been used as wine containers or water droppers. Together with the elaborate reticulated carvings of the branches and the swirling waves underneath, it would have required scrupulous attention to detail and masterful craftsmanship from the carver; 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 down the Yangtze river in a boat to explore the Western Regions, Xiyu 西域, and later playing 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.

A larger rhinoceros horn log-raft with a similar carving of Zhang Qian, by You Tong, late Ming dynasty, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2014, lot 3014; and another example, 17th/18th century, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 2913.

此件張騫乘槎水注依犀角的斜剖面雕成，形如古木中空。槎首有流，槎後透雕有不同花卉交相掩映，一長髯仙人手持書本，倚坐於花木間，神情閒適，末端掏空形成一圓洞，槎底刻細緻水浪紋，層次分明。此器採用圓雕、透雕等技法，構思巧妙，以有限的材質塑造出豐富的形象，且打磨精細，極具匠心，是犀角雕中的傑作。

此類槎器為犀角雕刻中極具挑戰性的一組，工匠需將整枚犀角橫切面內部掏空，使飲料能通過槎尖流出，同時槎後方需保留一小柱犀角以作支撐張騫所坐的橋樑，雕刻技術需精準無比，假如比例不合而導致歪曲，往往前功盡廢，可見工匠的工藝及經驗累積需極佳。有關此類槎器的製作論述，可參閱J.Chapman，《中國犀角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，圖77-80。

張騫為西漢時期的旅行家、外交家及探險家。漢武帝時期，為了在國際上削弱匈奴的勢力而有了張騫出使西域的故事。此作品正描述了張騫乘槎渡長江經過西域各國而前往西亞、北非乃至歐洲，大大促進了中西之間的經濟及文化交流，其中尤以開通「絲綢之路」最為著名。

此類張騫乘槎器應屬一組為數不多而專門特製的犀角雕，雕琢手法類似，均把內部掏空，唯張騫形象不一，有手持書本、如意或蓮花等。相關例子現藏於重要博物館及私人收藏，見台北國立故宮博物院藏一例，《匠心與仙工：明清雕刻展.象牙犀角篇》，台北，2011年，編號30；另見北京故宮博物院藏清宮舊藏三例，《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；另外愛爾蘭都柏林查士特圖書館亦藏四件，其中一件著錄於J.Chapman，《中國犀角雕刻藝術》，倫敦，1999年，圖47；上海博物館和美國哈佛藝術博物館均藏一例，著錄於霍滿堂，《中國犀角雕刻珍賞》，香港，1999年，圖70及71，另見私人收藏二例，見同上，編號73及74。