Pair of Goblets

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Pair of Goblets
China; Qing dynasty; 19th c.

The horn of the rhinoceros was considered to have a miraculous power against poison and consequently goblets were made of it. Horns were boiled and burnt before carving in order to make them softer so that they could be pierced with ornaments, like this one in the form of a vine stem with clusters of grapes. A Taoist landscape is carved on each of the wooden stands.