Gem and Ornamental

Figure 6.3 Rhino horn cup. Chinese. Eighteenth century. Y i d A MMuwm, Londorp.Rhino horn has been used for centuries, by many nationalities, fora variety of purposes. The trade to China goes back 2000 years. Forhalf of this time it was customuy for Chinese aristocrats to presenttheir emperor with rhino horn vessels to celebrate a birthday, Thesecould be in forms such as cups, bowls or brush pots, and were intendedto be m s u d , not used (Fii, 6.3). The Chinese greatly admired rhinohorn and, with their usual beautiful workmandip, c d it into dmanner of item, from buttons and belt buckles to combs, brdemand mlismans.In many parts of the world, including Chrihan, Buddhist, Hinduand Muslim cuuntries, drinking cups made of rfiino horn were thoughtto be able to detect poison, which was supposed to bubble in the cup.In Japan it was catved into netsuke, and in Europe, in the early twentiethcentury, it was being used for everything from pistol grips to doorhandles. In Africa rfiino horn was always used for Ear more practicalpurposes, such as utensils, or as an ingredient in some simplemedicines.It was in the Far East, especially in China, that belief in the medicinalpower of rhinoceros horn was so great. In sixteenth century China,imported horn hm India was being dted with the ability to cure& bites, hallu~tions, typhoid, headache, food poisoning, boilsand fever. Con- to western popular belief, there wag very littleindication that it would act as an aphrodisiac.