CHINESE CARVED RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP.Kangxi four-character mark. Elephant mask. African black rhinoceros horn, the upper of the animal's horns, verified under 30x microscope conditions to be longitudinally fibrous in nature; tooling marks pre-1900. - 3 1/ 2 in. high. Estimate $3,000-5,000
Provenance: Private West Coast collection. This horn was exhibited in two shows of Chinese art. Note: Unlike the Sumatran (Indonesian) rhinoceros cup horns, which are broad and shallow, the African horns are longer and more slender in shape with more vigorous carving due to their toughness. Authenticated by Dr. Timothy Jones, retired cultural anthropologist, University of Arizona, who is a recognized world-wide expert on Chinese libation cups and other antiquities. Certificate available upon request.
