Magnificent Chinese Carved Rhinoceros Horns with Provenance

A rare and magnificent pair of late 19th century Chinese carved rhinoceros horns. The spectacular horns are carved to the tip with a pierced openwork design of trees, vines, gourds, lingzhi fungus, young deer and the 'Three friends of winter’; pine, prunus and bamboo, culminating with a band of clouds around the base. The richly carved decorations are representative of the auspicious Chinese symbols of beauty, perseverance, healing and longevity. The horns are supported tip down on intricately carved lotus openwork stands in stained black wood. Provenance: formerly in the collection of Sir John Budd Phear (1825 – 1905). Sir John was a high court Judge in Ceylon and a noted anthropologist who wrote various articles and a book on the ‘Aryan village life in India and Ceylon’. His family owned Marpool hall, Exmouth and they gifted the large Phear Park to the city of Exmouth. Sir John’s Son Gilbert Phear (1877 – 1955) was an engineer in the Indian service in Ceylon and emigrated to New Zealand in the early 20th century. He married the vendor’s grandmother and the horns have passed down by descent to the present owners. Small chips to the rims.