Page 42 - Imperial Jade Paris June 22, 2017

The present sceptre is exceptional for many reasons. Firstly, it is a 1995 12 15
technical feat, requiring a jade boulder or a slab of jade of su ciently
large size and even colour to realise such a large object. Jade of such 217 220

awless pale, almost white tone was rare and even more di cult to 2015 39 40
nd in a large boulder. Hence, by making a large piece of jade into
a sceptre, a signi cant part of this precious material was wasted, 2015 23
implying that jade objects of this size and quality stone such as the
present sceptre were made either for the emperor or a high-ranking
member of the Imperial family. The inscription on the back of the
handle con rms both the rarity and outstanding qualities of the
jade used for this sceptre while con rming that it was an Imperial
commission.

The inscription is a poem by the Qianlong emperor, its content a
eulogy to the jade, the design and the purpose of the object. It clearly
states that the jade used for this sceptre came from Hetian, present
day Khotan in Xinjiang province. Hetian jade was considered the best
quality jade prized for its even colour and translucent quality. It was
during the reign of the emperor Qianlong (1736-95) that the Chinese
empire expanded into and took control over the western regions of
Xinjiang. As a result, sources and supplies of superior quality white
and pale celadon jade increased, supplying the court with this rare
material. It was prized by the Qianlong emperor whose appreciation
of Hetian jades is evident in the prose he composed for objects
made of the best quality Hetian jade.

In his poem on this sceptre, the Qianlong emperor also refers to the
highly auspicious design on the handle and ruyi-shaped head of the
sceptre. The ‘cranes of longevity’ and the ‘peaches of immortality’
express the wish for long life and longevity. Moreover, he alludes
to the gardens of the fabled Queen Mother of the West, guardian
of the Western paradise where she was believed to preside over
the secret of immortality. As a nal honour, the emperor bestowed
upon the piece the title ‘Hetian Peach and Crane Ruyi Sceptre’, a
rare sign of his appreciation.

There are very few jade pieces bearing an Imperial inscription
which explicitly notes the outstanding qualities of the precious
jade which, like the jade for this sceptre, was sourced in Hetian.
At least six large ruyi-sceptres skilfully carved of the same
creamy and softly gleaming pale celadon or white stone in the
collections of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the
Palace Museum, Beijing, are similarly inscribed with poems
composed by the Qianlong emperor, compare Auspicious Ju-i
Scepters of China, Taipei, 1995, cat. nos. 12-15 and pp. 217-220,
and The World rejoices as One. Celebrating Imperial Birthdays
in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2015, cat. nos. 39 and 40. What
distinguishes this particular jade sceptre is that was designed
and decorated for a speci c purpose. In the poem incised on the
back of the handle, the Qianlong emperor states that this sceptre
was an o ering to his mother, the Empress dowager Chongqing
(1693-1777), on her 80th birthday in 1773, to wish her health
and happiness in the New Year. The emperor’s birthdays were
one of the three major court festivals that were accompanied
by splendid ceremonies to mark the occasion. The 60th, 70th
and 80th birthday celebrations of the Qianlong and Jiaqing
emperors as well as that of the empress dowager Chongqing
were known as the Grand Ceremony of Vast Longevity (Wanshou
shengdian). O cials, merchants, foreign tributaries came to the
capital for this occasion from every corner of the empire and
beyond, exchanging lavish gifts, sharing blessings and praying for
the emperor’s and the empress dowager’s longevity, see Shan
Jixiang, The World Rejoices as One. Celebrating Imperial Birthdays
in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2015, pp. 2-3. Among gifts were
numerous objects that were re ected the Vast Longevity theme,
either in their shapes, materials and designs, but also inscriptions.
The present sceptre is unique as the inscription clearly indicates
that it may have been one of the Imperial gifts from the emperor
to his mother, the empress dowager Chongqing.

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