Rhinoceros horn in a deep brown to light honey hued color play with translucent quality China, 18th century This masterly carved rhinoceros horn lotus leaf cup shows exquisite openwork with wafer-thin stems and a bowl that shows the most exquisite translucent quality. The actual bowl shows carved veins on the exterior and also on the inside. It is overgrown by leafage and two seed capsules as well as one bud. A little crab is climbing on one of the leaves. The full tip stem consists of intertwined stems showing more leafage, a nearly closed lotus bud and another crab amidst the dense arrangement. Even the tiny tip of the stem shows naturalistic carving depicting the small holes of cut stalks. Shape: Figural shape Dimensions: 15,7 cm (length), 5,7 cm (maximum width measured at the bowl) Condition: Excellent condition with fine hand patina Provenance: German Private collection Literature comparison: For another lotus bowl, full tip carving of comparable size, dating to the 17th century see Sotheby’s, RHINOCEROS HORN CARVINGS FROM THE EDWARD AND FRANKLIN CHOW COLLECTION, 08 APRIL 2011, HONG KONG, lot 2703. For two lotus leaf bowls, comparable in shape and size see Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p.167, nr.210 and p.184, nr.244. 十八世紀犀牛角“荷葉”杯 深褐色至亮蜜色犀牛角，半透明 中國， 十八世紀 這款精雕細琢的犀角荷葉杯展現了精緻的鏤空技法，杯身為一枝大荷葉，又鏤雕數小枝盤旋環繞，並雕蓮葉、蓮蓬、蓮花、花苞及一莖蓼草作為襯托。近口沿處雕一螃蟹， 完整的荷葉莖稈被幾根莖稈環繞，脫穎而出。即使是莖的微小尖端也顯示出此器雕刻技法嫻熟，造型優美簡潔，刀工流利，自然主義獨具匠心。 隨形而雕 尺寸：15,7 x 5,7 cm (長x碗最寬処) 品相極好，包漿細膩 德國私人收藏 文獻參考: 另一件尺寸相近斷代為十七世紀的犀牛角雕蓮葉碗可見蘇富比《靈犀萬象──仇炎之、仇大雄父子珍藏犀角雕刻》，2011年4月8日，香港，2703號拍品。另外兩件形制及尺寸相近的蓮葉碗可見Jan Chapman《中國犀牛角雕藝術》，倫敦，1999，167頁圖210 and 184頁圖244。