Rhinoceros Horn Artifacts In Ancient China
A study of rhinoceros and rhinoceros horn artifacts in the ancient China Rhinoceros(xi犀), also named as si (兕), is a rare animal in the ancient China. They were very active in the landscape of China during the prehistoric times. Archaeologists have found the evidence of rhinoceros bones in many Neolithic relics.
Various ancient literatures such as “E Ya”, “Guo Yu”, “Lun Yu”, and “Shan Hai Jing” mention the existence of rhinoceroses and its impressive image with double horns on the snout and forehead. They used to live in China until the 14th century but then it disappeared because ancient people killed rhinoceros for many reasons. …show more content…
During Warring States period (475 – 221 BC), rhinoceros’ skin was demanded for shields and armors for soldiers because of its thickness. “The Story of Goujian Descend upon Wu” recorded that, “Now, there are about 130 thousands Goujian’s soldiers armed with suits of rhinoceros skins.” By Tang dynasty (618-907), rhinoceros skin was used as belts by officials to demonstrate their political status and the emperor and prince used hairpins which were made of rhinoceros horns to fix their crowns. It was a common belief by ancient people that rhinoceros horns had can cool blood, reduce heat as an antidote to poison. Therefore, they were fond of making rhinoceros horn vessels to exude their medicinal properties into the liquid contained.
Because of the scarcity of rhinoceroses, objects made of rhinoceros horns have been treated as rare treasures with the rapid growth of horn carvings and decorative arts in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). In fact, rhinoceros were extinct on the land of ancient China at that time, but more rhinoceros horn were imported into China as the maritime expeditions of Admiral Zheng during the Yongle period (1403-1424) of the early Ming Dynasty. Imperial workshops and later private workshops were encouraged to produce rhinoceros horn objects of high artistic value. The majority of extant rhinoceros horn works are dated from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In other words, the objects made of rhinoceros horns had their heyday during the Ming and Qing.
The rhinoceros horn carving is a fascinating work so that many scholars participated in the production from the late Ming Dynasty. They mixed the techniques of different material carvings such as bamboo, wood, ivory, jade and mental carving skills, and styled the artifacts with consummate technology of high and low relief carvings and dyeing process, which promoted the development of innovative carving motifs and designs.
It is an attractive study to explore the advancement and innovations in themes and designs of rhinoceros horns artifacts as people’s taste changes with the times and the progress in handicraft of the artists. The installation will show us the examples that reveal the great intelligence and exquisite craftsmanship of the laboring people. We can also see the influence of the social environment on the growth of rhinoceros horn carvings during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
O1: Gold and silver inlay cloud-patterned rhinoceros vessel (zun尊)
The wine vessel is in the shape of a strong and elegant rhinoceros. Its entire bronze body is covered by cloud patterns and inlaid with gold and silver. The stout body, robust limbs, sharp tusks and bright black eyes indicates a powerful image of Sumatran rhinoceros which used to exist in the landscape of China. The lid on its back can be opened and its belly is empty to store the wine that is allowed to flow out through the mouth. During the spring and autumn period and the Han Dynasty, a variety of animal images were applied as the shapes of the wine vessels, such as elephants and owls in the Shang Dynasty, horses, rabbits and ducks in the Zhou Dynasty, and tigers and dragons in the Western Han. This rhinoceros vessel is very rare and considered as a masterpiece in Bronze Age.
Although the vessel is made of bronze and cannot be an example of rhinoceros objects strictly, it is significant to illustrate the Asian Sumatran rhinoceros was active in the history of China as it is the earliest extant image of rhinoceros that has been found.
Among the remaining less than four thousand artifacts of rhinoceros horn carvings, the majority of artistic work are typically horn vessels, especially the libation cups because their forms coincide with the nature shape of the horns in order to make the best use of the materials. Rhinoceros horn carvings gradually became popular in the late Ming Dynasty. Because of the participation of scholars at that time and the fusion of caving techniques, the diversification of themes and decorative motifs was come into being. Except for traditional motifs of landscapes, birds and flowers, scholarly themes such as auspicious subjects, legends or tales, and the story of anecdotes from literature or history were favored by designers.
O2: Rhinoceros Horn Cup with Dragons in Clouds
The cup is a reprehensive artifact in the late Ming Dynasty. Its motif is about nine dragons riding on clouds. One is heading upward at the bottom of the cup; three are circling around the mouth and the handle; five stay on the body of the cup like entering Wonderland. This tale, a well known legend in ancient China, tells a famous old saying and the dragon has nine sons and they are different from each other. It implies that each one has his own characteristics. The delicate carvings create a magnificent scene of the story and depict different vivid expression of each dragon with beautiful and rich color of the entire cup.
O3: “Hundred Boys” rhinoceros horn libation cup
This cup is another example of rhinoceros horn cup dated to the Late Ming and early Qing Dynasty which expresses a very different theme from Nine-Dragon Cup.
Its exterior carves boys frolicking in various playful pursuits. In the past history, Chinese artists preferred the theme of boys at play. For example, a famous Southern Song court artist, Su Hanchen, painted a picture named “Boys at play in an Autumn Garden” which described the children from official’s families playing with red leaves. Actually, this pictorial image implies auspicious meaning in ancient China. “Hundred boys" symbolizes luxuriant progeny and fulfillment of Confucian ideals in education. During the period of the late Ming to early Qing Dynasties, a variety of objects such as ceramic, jade, lacquer and textile artifacts favored the imagery of “hundred boys" as Chinese believe that the more children, the more …show more content…
blessing.
O4: Lotus leaves and mantis cup
The cup is an ornamental artistic work made by You Kai in the late Ming dynasty. The rhinoceros horn would become ductile after boiled with salt water. You Kai wisely made the use of this property to curl the lower part of the horn upward as the handle of the cup. The lotus leaves are unfolding and form a hollow space for serving wine. Two beautiful lotuses are lying on the back of the leaves and a mantis stays in the interior of the cup to wait for the wine silently. The lotus is a symbol of the beauty of feminine. Although it is a traditional theme of horn cups, but it is still popular. The line carved on the cup is mellow and sweet full, representing the sweetness of a feminine imagery.
O5: Rhinoceros horn libation cup in the Qing Dynasty
This libation cup has a particular shape among numerous rhinoceros horn cups.
Unlike the other magnificent design of libation cups which are made in the shape of nature form of horns, it is much similar to our modern drinking cup. In spite of its relative small size, the carvings are still has elaborate and deserve to be prized. It is noteworthy that the cup reproduces the motifs and patterns of archaic bronzes. Its body is carved with two symmetry taotie (饕餮）masks and a relief dragon is winding around the handle. It proves that archaic motifs originated bronzes were popular in the Qing Dynasty.
By the early Qing Dynasty, artistic works of rhinoceros horns inherited the Ming motifs and created a larger number of novel forms. It is also a demonstration of the advancement in craftsmanship. As the above example mentioned, archaic motifs of ancient bronzes were hot during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods (1723-1795). The intricate design and sophisticated motifs also reveals the intellegence of the
craftsmen.
People’s enthusiasm for the rare rhinoceros horns is not only on the rhinoceros horn cups, but also on other horn artistic works for appreciation or functions of the objects, such as small round boxes, flower baskets, water vases, thumb rings for archers, statues. These works are not limited by the original shape of the horns and each of them deserves to be prized for their ingenious design and smooth colors.
O6: “three-string” rhinoceros horn vase (Laifu Zun)
Unlike cups which use the nature form of rhinoceros, this vase is a rare and impressive rhinoceros horn artifact. “Laifu Zun" is a radish shaped vase because of its small mouth, long neck and high shoulders. As mentioned above, zun (尊）is a wine vessel which in the Shang and Zhou Dynasty. It became popular in the Song Dynasty and had its heyday in Kangxi period of Qing Dynasty. This vase is also called “three-string vase" (san xian ping) because there are two obvious lines on its neck and one on its shoulders. This distinctive shape was recognized as one of “eight peach bloom shapes” by scholars of the Kangxi period. The elegant form, smooth appearance and darker walnut-brown horn made the vase an excellent masterpiece in the Qing Dynasty.
07: Raft with an immortal in a log boat
The raft-shape form was made according to the natural shape of rhinoceros horn dated in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. The motif describes a story of Zhang Qian, a statesman who is an envoy to the western region in the Han Dynasty, floating in a hollow boat. He holds a book in one hand, and a Bai luan wei (a broom of celestials in the legend) in the other hand. The swirling waves are carved around the head of the raft and the tail is surrounded by plum blossoms, peonies and lotuses.
The spacious part of the boat is seemed as the body of the cup, thus the object remains the form of the wine vessel. However, it is already an ornament on the desk for artistic appreciation rather than the practical function. The fine carving makes the artifact highly commendable.
O8: Statuette of Calico-bag Monk
This statuette is made of the forehead horn of the rhinoceros. It has old chestnut color and its technology mainly focus on circular carvings. The monk sits on the ground with a raised head and leans on the calico-bag. Two children are riding on his shoulders and the other two are at the foot of the statuette. The statuette, so lifelike both in figure and manner, is a full demonstration of superb carving skills at that time.
Calico-bag monk is the manifestation of Maitreya in the legend. Folklore portrays it has bald head, smiling mouth and bulky body and this is also the most popular image of Maitreya in China. The rhinoceros horn statuette is carved in this folk theme. Furthermore, the big head, ears, stomach, limbs and breast of the bag monk suggest the implication of happiness, longevity, fulfillment and good health.
All rhinoceros horn objects have their own aesthetic qualities. With the attractive color of the material, their decorative features were augmented by the consummate techniques of craftsmen. Moreover, the artifacts carry an implication or a blessing that their producers want to express. Compared with painting and calligraphy, rhinoceros horn carvings are more like a quintessence of skilled craftsmanship in a specific social environment rather than an art of personal expression. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Christie’s Hong Kong to Offer an Important Private Collection of Rhinoceros
Horn Carvings from the Songzhutang Collection, Part II http://www.christies.com/about/presscenter/releases/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=4006 National Museum of China http://en.chnmuseum.cn/english/tabid/549/Default.aspx?AntiqueLanguageID=2332 National Palace Museum “The Art of Rhinocero Horn Carving” http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh98/carvings/en_06.html
The Palace Museum http://www.dpm.org.cn/shtml/660/@/100971.html
Welch, Patricia Bjaaland. “ Chinese art: A guide to motifs and visual imagery”
Yang, Dehong, “Appreciation of Carving Rhinoceros Horn”
Various ancient literatures such as “E Ya”, “Guo Yu”, “Lun Yu”, and “Shan Hai Jing” mention the existence of rhinoceroses and its impressive image with double horns on the snout and forehead. They used to live in China until the 14th century but then it disappeared because ancient people killed rhinoceros for many reasons. …show more content…
During Warring States period (475 – 221 BC), rhinoceros’ skin was demanded for shields and armors for soldiers because of its thickness. “The Story of Goujian Descend upon Wu” recorded that, “Now, there are about 130 thousands Goujian’s soldiers armed with suits of rhinoceros skins.” By Tang dynasty (618-907), rhinoceros skin was used as belts by officials to demonstrate their political status and the emperor and prince used hairpins which were made of rhinoceros horns to fix their crowns. It was a common belief by ancient people that rhinoceros horns had can cool blood, reduce heat as an antidote to poison. Therefore, they were fond of making rhinoceros horn vessels to exude their medicinal properties into the liquid contained.
Because of the scarcity of rhinoceroses, objects made of rhinoceros horns have been treated as rare treasures with the rapid growth of horn carvings and decorative arts in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). In fact, rhinoceros were extinct on the land of ancient China at that time, but more rhinoceros horn were imported into China as the maritime expeditions of Admiral Zheng during the Yongle period (1403-1424) of the early Ming Dynasty. Imperial workshops and later private workshops were encouraged to produce rhinoceros horn objects of high artistic value. The majority of extant rhinoceros horn works are dated from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In other words, the objects made of rhinoceros horns had their heyday during the Ming and Qing.
The rhinoceros horn carving is a fascinating work so that many scholars participated in the production from the late Ming Dynasty. They mixed the techniques of different material carvings such as bamboo, wood, ivory, jade and mental carving skills, and styled the artifacts with consummate technology of high and low relief carvings and dyeing process, which promoted the development of innovative carving motifs and designs.
It is an attractive study to explore the advancement and innovations in themes and designs of rhinoceros horns artifacts as people’s taste changes with the times and the progress in handicraft of the artists. The installation will show us the examples that reveal the great intelligence and exquisite craftsmanship of the laboring people. We can also see the influence of the social environment on the growth of rhinoceros horn carvings during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
O1: Gold and silver inlay cloud-patterned rhinoceros vessel (zun尊)
The wine vessel is in the shape of a strong and elegant rhinoceros. Its entire bronze body is covered by cloud patterns and inlaid with gold and silver. The stout body, robust limbs, sharp tusks and bright black eyes indicates a powerful image of Sumatran rhinoceros which used to exist in the landscape of China. The lid on its back can be opened and its belly is empty to store the wine that is allowed to flow out through the mouth. During the spring and autumn period and the Han Dynasty, a variety of animal images were applied as the shapes of the wine vessels, such as elephants and owls in the Shang Dynasty, horses, rabbits and ducks in the Zhou Dynasty, and tigers and dragons in the Western Han. This rhinoceros vessel is very rare and considered as a masterpiece in Bronze Age.
Although the vessel is made of bronze and cannot be an example of rhinoceros objects strictly, it is significant to illustrate the Asian Sumatran rhinoceros was active in the history of China as it is the earliest extant image of rhinoceros that has been found.
Among the remaining less than four thousand artifacts of rhinoceros horn carvings, the majority of artistic work are typically horn vessels, especially the libation cups because their forms coincide with the nature shape of the horns in order to make the best use of the materials. Rhinoceros horn carvings gradually became popular in the late Ming Dynasty. Because of the participation of scholars at that time and the fusion of caving techniques, the diversification of themes and decorative motifs was come into being. Except for traditional motifs of landscapes, birds and flowers, scholarly themes such as auspicious subjects, legends or tales, and the story of anecdotes from literature or history were favored by designers.
O2: Rhinoceros Horn Cup with Dragons in Clouds
The cup is a reprehensive artifact in the late Ming Dynasty. Its motif is about nine dragons riding on clouds. One is heading upward at the bottom of the cup; three are circling around the mouth and the handle; five stay on the body of the cup like entering Wonderland. This tale, a well known legend in ancient China, tells a famous old saying and the dragon has nine sons and they are different from each other. It implies that each one has his own characteristics. The delicate carvings create a magnificent scene of the story and depict different vivid expression of each dragon with beautiful and rich color of the entire cup.
O3: “Hundred Boys” rhinoceros horn libation cup
This cup is another example of rhinoceros horn cup dated to the Late Ming and early Qing Dynasty which expresses a very different theme from Nine-Dragon Cup.
Its exterior carves boys frolicking in various playful pursuits. In the past history, Chinese artists preferred the theme of boys at play. For example, a famous Southern Song court artist, Su Hanchen, painted a picture named “Boys at play in an Autumn Garden” which described the children from official’s families playing with red leaves. Actually, this pictorial image implies auspicious meaning in ancient China. “Hundred boys" symbolizes luxuriant progeny and fulfillment of Confucian ideals in education. During the period of the late Ming to early Qing Dynasties, a variety of objects such as ceramic, jade, lacquer and textile artifacts favored the imagery of “hundred boys" as Chinese believe that the more children, the more …show more content…
blessing.
O4: Lotus leaves and mantis cup
The cup is an ornamental artistic work made by You Kai in the late Ming dynasty. The rhinoceros horn would become ductile after boiled with salt water. You Kai wisely made the use of this property to curl the lower part of the horn upward as the handle of the cup. The lotus leaves are unfolding and form a hollow space for serving wine. Two beautiful lotuses are lying on the back of the leaves and a mantis stays in the interior of the cup to wait for the wine silently. The lotus is a symbol of the beauty of feminine. Although it is a traditional theme of horn cups, but it is still popular. The line carved on the cup is mellow and sweet full, representing the sweetness of a feminine imagery.
O5: Rhinoceros horn libation cup in the Qing Dynasty
This libation cup has a particular shape among numerous rhinoceros horn cups.
Unlike the other magnificent design of libation cups which are made in the shape of nature form of horns, it is much similar to our modern drinking cup. In spite of its relative small size, the carvings are still has elaborate and deserve to be prized. It is noteworthy that the cup reproduces the motifs and patterns of archaic bronzes. Its body is carved with two symmetry taotie (饕餮）masks and a relief dragon is winding around the handle. It proves that archaic motifs originated bronzes were popular in the Qing Dynasty.
By the early Qing Dynasty, artistic works of rhinoceros horns inherited the Ming motifs and created a larger number of novel forms. It is also a demonstration of the advancement in craftsmanship. As the above example mentioned, archaic motifs of ancient bronzes were hot during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods (1723-1795). The intricate design and sophisticated motifs also reveals the intellegence of the
craftsmen.
People’s enthusiasm for the rare rhinoceros horns is not only on the rhinoceros horn cups, but also on other horn artistic works for appreciation or functions of the objects, such as small round boxes, flower baskets, water vases, thumb rings for archers, statues. These works are not limited by the original shape of the horns and each of them deserves to be prized for their ingenious design and smooth colors.
O6: “three-string” rhinoceros horn vase (Laifu Zun)
Unlike cups which use the nature form of rhinoceros, this vase is a rare and impressive rhinoceros horn artifact. “Laifu Zun" is a radish shaped vase because of its small mouth, long neck and high shoulders. As mentioned above, zun (尊）is a wine vessel which in the Shang and Zhou Dynasty. It became popular in the Song Dynasty and had its heyday in Kangxi period of Qing Dynasty. This vase is also called “three-string vase" (san xian ping) because there are two obvious lines on its neck and one on its shoulders. This distinctive shape was recognized as one of “eight peach bloom shapes” by scholars of the Kangxi period. The elegant form, smooth appearance and darker walnut-brown horn made the vase an excellent masterpiece in the Qing Dynasty.
07: Raft with an immortal in a log boat
The raft-shape form was made according to the natural shape of rhinoceros horn dated in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. The motif describes a story of Zhang Qian, a statesman who is an envoy to the western region in the Han Dynasty, floating in a hollow boat. He holds a book in one hand, and a Bai luan wei (a broom of celestials in the legend) in the other hand. The swirling waves are carved around the head of the raft and the tail is surrounded by plum blossoms, peonies and lotuses.
The spacious part of the boat is seemed as the body of the cup, thus the object remains the form of the wine vessel. However, it is already an ornament on the desk for artistic appreciation rather than the practical function. The fine carving makes the artifact highly commendable.
O8: Statuette of Calico-bag Monk
This statuette is made of the forehead horn of the rhinoceros. It has old chestnut color and its technology mainly focus on circular carvings. The monk sits on the ground with a raised head and leans on the calico-bag. Two children are riding on his shoulders and the other two are at the foot of the statuette. The statuette, so lifelike both in figure and manner, is a full demonstration of superb carving skills at that time.
Calico-bag monk is the manifestation of Maitreya in the legend. Folklore portrays it has bald head, smiling mouth and bulky body and this is also the most popular image of Maitreya in China. The rhinoceros horn statuette is carved in this folk theme. Furthermore, the big head, ears, stomach, limbs and breast of the bag monk suggest the implication of happiness, longevity, fulfillment and good health.
All rhinoceros horn objects have their own aesthetic qualities. With the attractive color of the material, their decorative features were augmented by the consummate techniques of craftsmen. Moreover, the artifacts carry an implication or a blessing that their producers want to express. Compared with painting and calligraphy, rhinoceros horn carvings are more like a quintessence of skilled craftsmanship in a specific social environment rather than an art of personal expression. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Christie’s Hong Kong to Offer an Important Private Collection of Rhinoceros
Horn Carvings from the Songzhutang Collection, Part II http://www.christies.com/about/presscenter/releases/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=4006 National Museum of China http://en.chnmuseum.cn/english/tabid/549/Default.aspx?AntiqueLanguageID=2332 National Palace Museum “The Art of Rhinocero Horn Carving” http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh98/carvings/en_06.html
The Palace Museum http://www.dpm.org.cn/shtml/660/@/100971.html
Welch, Patricia Bjaaland. “ Chinese art: A guide to motifs and visual imagery”
Yang, Dehong, “Appreciation of Carving Rhinoceros Horn”