Rhinoceros Horn Carving

Rhinoceros horn carving is a gem of Chinese art. Its great value is not only the scarcity of the material, but also the participation of Ming Dynasty scholars (1368 – 1644) in the production, resulting in the blending of techniques and styles with bamboo, wood, metal and jade carvings, which gave rise to a host of innovative themes and designs. Nowadays, the protection of rhinoceroses has succeeded in lessening the supply of the material. Also, according to a tentative statistics, there are now less than four thousand examples of rhinoceros horn carvings remaining, making these works of art highly valued among collectors.

In China, rhinoceros horns have been rare treasures since ancient times. They are used as medicine or carved into objects of high artistic value. Despite numerous textual references, no rhinoceros horn carvings have yet been unearthed from archaeological excavations. Most of the extant examples date from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1644 – 1911).

From early to mid-Ming, rhinoceros horn vessels were produced by the imperial workshop and reserved exclusively for the court. Works of this period are either plain or decorated with simple motifs, typified by minimal workmanship. During the Yongle period (1403 – 1424), the maritime expeditions of Eunuch Admiral Zheng He promoted maritime trade, which in turn brought about rapid development of the decorative arts. More horns were imported and private workshops were then allowed to participate in the industry.

Henceforth, choices of themes and decorative motifs were enriched and diversified under the influence of different techniques and media styles, including bamboo and ivory carvings. With more scholars participating, scholarly themes appeared. Popular genres included landscapes, birds and flowers, pastoral gatherings, auspicious subjects and anecdotes from literature.

Rhinoceros horn carvings gradually became popular in the latter half of the sixteenth century. The rarity and lustrous color of the material, augmented with various decorative features, gave horn cups of all shapes a common aesthetic quality. Nevertheless, it was the rare cups with unique shape that carried the deepest meaning. Unlike painting and calligraphy, rhinoceros horn carving was not an art of personal expression, but rather a commercial product of skilled craftsmanship in a specific social context.

Works of the early Qing adopted the Ming motifs but experimented with a larger variety of forms. They also demonstrate advances in workmanship. In the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods (1723 – 1795), archaic motifs derived from ancient bronzes became popular under the antiquarian vogue. The works of this period were superbly carved with intricate design, elaborate motifs and with such refinement that even inconspicuous areas would be finished perfectly. They demonstrate the technical mastery of the craftsmen. However, exceptional standards were not maintained in the late Qing period when the weakening of the nation drove rhinoceros horn carving art into decline.

When it comes to the quality of raw material, in ancient times rhinoceros horns were graded according to chromatic mutations and configurations. “Tongxi,” for instance, is known for its superior quality. The cross-section of a “tongxi” horn shows a yellowish-beige interior that gradually turns black towards the core. In terms of type-form, the majority of rhinoceros horns are carved into vessels, the most common being the libation cup. This is because the form of the libation cup coincides with the natural taper of the horn, making the best use of this very rare material. A second reason is based on the common belief that the cup may exude antidotal and mind-pacifying medicinal properties of the rhinoceros horn into the liquid it contains.