You Kan

Also known as Seal name Zhisheng

You Kan was a carver of rhinoceros horn in the late Ming and early Qing whose birthplace and life go unrecorded; he is known only through signed work. His cups usually bear two tiny relief seals inside the wall or on the foot, a round one reading Zhisheng and a square one reading You Kan, and range from birds and flowers to landscapes with figures, with careful polishing and layered carving. The Palace Museum in Beijing holds three cups with his mark, showing a landscape with figures, grapes with birds, and hibiscus with mandarin ducks, all dated to the late Ming, and further signed cups are in collections abroad.