Page 45 - Sotheby's Sir Quo Wei Lei Collection Oct. 3, 2018

The entire surface of the present ruyi sceptre 此如意滿工，通體浮雕雙桃、蝙蝠，寓意吉祥，
is intricately carved in relief with peaches and 應為萬壽節而製，殊為難得。孔子在《禮記．聘
bats, chosen for their auspicious connotations. 義》中曰︰「君子比德於玉焉，溫潤而澤仁也。
A design appropriate for imperial birthdays, this 」以君子的人格比擬為美玉，與吉祥如意結合，
is a rare piece commissioned specifically for the 成為吉祥文化之典範。
occasion. “Superior men found the likeness of
all excellent qualities in jade. Soft, smooth, and 如意，為清代的皇帝選妃時賜予皇后的信物，大
glossy, it appeared to them like benevolence,” 婚前一日，更置如意於喜床四角，象徵幸福美
says Confucius in Liji: Pinyi [The Book of Rites:
The Meaning of Interchange of Missions twixt 滿。如意，是宮庭生活的一部分，寶座旁、几案
Different Courts]. The embodiment by jade of 上、均置如意。皇帝更賞賜如意予外國使者，以
the virtues of a gentleman, combined with the 示皇恩。新帝登基、皇帝萬壽，如意是大臣們必
auspiciousness of the ruyi motif, thus presents a 進獻之賀禮。
glimpse into the quintessence of Chinese culture.
據資料記載，如意遠在東漢時就已有之，《天皇
In the Imperial Qing court, the consort chosen 至道太清玉冊．修真器用章》曰：「如意黃帝所
to be empress would be presented with a ruyi
sceptre as a recognition of her newfound status. 製，戰蚩尤之兵器也。後世改為骨朵，天真執
On the day before the wedding, such sceptres 之，以辟眾魔。」如意最早是兵器，後被視為吉
would be placed at the four corners of the marital 祥之物，更帶辟邪之效。
bed to confer blessings on the consummation.
As an imperial object, the ruyi was ubiquitous in
court; as the sceptre has no practical function
and could express good wishes suitable for any
occasion, it was a gift often bestowed to foreign
ambassadors by the emperor, whom himself
would receive the same gift during birthdays and
coronations.
The history of ruyi dates back to the Eastern Han
dynasty. According to the Ming Daoist Manual
Tianhuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce: Xiuzhenqi
Yongzhang, ruyi was first invented by the Yellow
Emperor or Huangdi as a weapon against his
rival Chiyou, and afterwards took the form of a
flower with a shaft, with which evil spirits can be
exorcised and good fortune bestowed.