λ A CHINESE RHINOCEROS HORN 'LOTUS AND GRAIN' LIBATION CUP...
λ A CHINESE RHINOCEROS HORN 'LOTUS AND GRAIN' LIBATION CUP 18TH CENTURY The exterior carved in relief with ears of grain amongst large lotus flowers and leaves, their long trailing stems all tied together with ribbon, with three small birds in flight amidst the blooms, the base worked as a furling lotus leaf, with a paper collection label reading '150', together with a wood stand, 11cm, 81g. (2) Please note that an export licence will only be granted for rhinoceros horn pieces should the hammer price meet or exceed the value of 100 USD per gram of the item's weight. Provenance: from the Fryers Collection of Chinese Art, collection no.150, purchased from René Kitchen Ltd, London, on 1st May 1970. A copy of the invoice is available. Dr Gordon Fryers (1922-2008) and Dr Rosemary Fryers (1922-1994) moved to Singapore in 1946 after they had both qualified as doctors, and their time there introduced them to Chinese art and culture. However, the Fryers did not start collecting seriously until the 1960s when Gordon's experiences on his many international business trips rightly led him to believe that China would one day play a crucial role in the world economy and that its art would subsequently become highly desirable. With this remarkable foresight in seeing Chinese art as an investment opportunity, Gordon and Rosemary gradually built up their collection over a fifteen-year period in the 1960s and 70s, buying from leading auction houses and dealers. Albeit a clever financial move, Gordon and Rosemary's collecting was by no means without passion, and they both developed a keen interest in the subject. Whilst Rosemary was drawn to ceramics and various works of art, Gordon favoured jades and marvelled at the outstanding craftsmanship behind these pieces. The Chinese words for lotus, he, and an ear of grain, sui, are homophonous with the words for 'harmony' and 'year' respectively. Therefore, the two images together symbolise the wish of living in harmony year after year. Cf. T Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, p.147, no.97 for another cup with the lotus and grain motif.
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λ A CHINESE RHINOCEROS HORN 'LOTUS AND GRAIN' LIBATION CUP 18TH CENTURY The exterior carved in relief with ears of grain amongst large lotus flowers and leaves, their long trailing stems all tied together with ribbon, with three small birds in flight amidst the blooms, the base worked as a furling lotus leaf, with a paper collection label reading '150', together with a wood stand, 11cm, 81g. (2) Please note that an export licence will only be granted for rhinoceros horn pieces should the hammer price meet or exceed the value of 100 USD per gram of the item's weight. Provenance: from the Fryers Collection of Chinese Art, collection no.150, purchased from René Kitchen Ltd, London, on 1st May 1970. A copy of the invoice is available. Dr Gordon Fryers (1922-2008) and Dr Rosemary Fryers (1922-1994) moved to Singapore in 1946 after they had both qualified as doctors, and their time there introduced them to Chinese art and culture. However, the Fryers did not start collecting seriously until the 1960s when Gordon's experiences on his many international business trips rightly led him to believe that China would one day play a crucial role in the world economy and that its art would subsequently become highly desirable. With this remarkable foresight in seeing Chinese art as an investment opportunity, Gordon and Rosemary gradually built up their collection over a fifteen-year period in the 1960s and 70s, buying from leading auction houses and dealers. Albeit a clever financial move, Gordon and Rosemary's collecting was by no means without passion, and they both developed a keen interest in the subject. Whilst Rosemary was drawn to ceramics and various works of art, Gordon favoured jades and marvelled at the outstanding craftsmanship behind these pieces. The Chinese words for lotus, he, and an ear of grain, sui, are homophonous with the words for 'harmony' and 'year' respectively. Therefore, the two images together symbolise the wish of living in harmony year after year. Cf. T Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, p.147, no.97 for another cup with the lotus and grain motif.
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