A good Chinese signed rhinoceros horn libation cup, of a mellow honey tone, finely carved with a

A good Chinese signed rhinoceros horn libation cup, of a mellow honey tone, finely carved with a gourd, a ruyi sceptre and a fly whisk, hanging from the rim, the sides carved as a gnarled and knotted tree trunk, the base with an incised square seal mark, 17th century, minor faults, 16cm. Provenance: the Alexander Collection. William Cleverley Alexander (1840-1916) was one of the most noted connoisseurs of his day, an accomplished draughtsman and a member of the Burlington Fine Arts Club, he was renowned for his taste in Western paintings and Asian works of art. The collection was started in 1867 and included items from the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Alexander lent generously to the exhibitions at the Burlington Fine Art Club, and to the City of Manchester Art Gallery Exhibition, 1913. Woolley and Wallis sold a Yuan dynasty blue and white gourd-shaped vase from this important collection, 15th July 2005 for a hammer price of £ 2,600,000. For further details about The Alexander Collection, cf. Hobson, Rackham and King, Chinese Ceramics in Private Collections, 1931, where 58 pieces from the collection are illustrated.