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SAM'S collection
Cup with landscape decoration
Cup with landscape decoration

Cup with landscape decoration

Date17th century
Label TextRhinoceros horn was prized both for its rarity and for the special powers it was believed to possess for nurturing health as well as the mind. Exquisite drinking cups made of horns were often decorated with auspicious motifs, typically representing longevity. This one has an elaborate landscape scene, complete with rushing streams, a pine forest, and an oxen-riding traveler.
Object number35.117
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Pure Amusements: Wealth, Leisure, and Culture in Late Imperial China, Dec. 24, 2016 - May 15, 2022.
Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection
Dimensions5 3/16 × 8 1/4 × 4 3/4in. (13.2 × 21 × 12.1cm) Base: 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3in. (3.81 x 11.43 x 7.62cm)
MediumRhinoceros horn