LIBATION CUP CHINA, QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY With an oval-shaped section, on the outside it presents an exquisite relief decoration of nine Chilong dragons freely arranged on the surface, one of which invades with the front of its body the inside of the rear section of the mouth, on the opposite side a three-ring hook. Two minute chips on the edge of the mouth. 3.9 x 6.3 x 4.1 in. The nine-dragon decoration is usually reserved for those artifacts intended explicitly for the imperial court of Beijing, where workshops (Zaobanchu), dedicated to satisfy the commissions of the sovereign and his closest entourage, were active. Horn cups decorated with this prestigious motif are illustrated in Thomas Fok's volume (cfr. literature). All present ornamental details with motifs of archaic taste, absent instead in this cup that seems made to highlight with the sobriety of its composition the iconic strength of the dragons, caught in dynamic poses that enhance the sinuous curves of the lightning bodies. TAGS: Oriental Art China