Page 80 - Nov 28 Chinese Art Hong Kong

PROPERTY FROM AN ENGLISH PRIVATE COLLECTION The present lot is remarkable for the crisp relief carving of the motifs
英國私人收藏 as well as the fluid quality of the carving emphasised by the elegant
sinuous curve of the sceptre, enhanced by the refined smoothly-
22 polished stone.
A RARE PALE GREEN JADE RUYI SCEPTRE
18th/19th century This ruyi sceptre is abundant with auspicious connotations by means
The large ruyi-shaped terminal carved in relief with a leafy branch of of puns and rebuses. Ruyi means ‘as you wish’, and therefore the
radiating peony surrounded by a leafy cluster and a bat in flight, the presentation of a ruyi sceptre would have been deemed as bestowing
thick arched shaft deftly carved in low relief with a gnarled leafy branch good luck. The blooming peony (fuguihua 富貴花) is regarded as
of peaches, above a flowering clump of narcissus at the bottom with an emblem symbolising wealth and honour, while the narcissus
a bat forming the end, the bottom edge pierced for threading a tassel, (shuixianhua 水仙花) has the word ‘immortal’ in its name; together,
the smoothly polished stone of an even pale green tone. they form the homonym shenxian fugui 神仙富貴, meaning ‘may you
32.3cm (12 3/4in) long be blessed with longevity, wealth and honour’. In addition, the two
peaches carved in low relief at the centre of the shaft represent the
wish for longevity. The combination of peach, bats and the ruyi sceptre
HK$200,000 - 300,000 forms the rebus fushou ruyi 福壽如意, which symbolises blessings,
US$26,000 - 38,000 longevity and fulfillment of all wishes.

十八/十九世紀 青白玉雕壽桃蝙蝠如意 The Yongzheng Emperor revived the tradition of presentation of ruyi
sceptres by commissioning examples in various prized materials
Provenance: including jade, jadeite, turquoise, zitan, and filigree work. The
Edward Ford Duncanson (1833-1899), and thence by descent. importance of the ruyi sceptre was further reinforced by the Qianlong
Emperor, who officially called upon courtiers to present ruyi sceptres
來源： at Imperial birthdays and New Year celebrations. The superb quality of
愛德華·福德·鄧肯森（1883-1899），後由家族繼承 the present jade sceptre would have made it suitable as such a gift.

The exceptional quality, design and skilful carving of the present lot can
be compared to a number of pale green jade examples of larger size, in
the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in
the Palace Museum: Jade 8 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pls.60 and 62.

Compare a related but larger pale celadon jade ‘quail and millet’ ruyi
sceptre, 18th/19th century, which was sold at Sotheby’s London,
Edward Ford Duncanson was a merchant and banker in the 5 November 2014, lot 3; a further related larger white jade ruyi sceptre,
China trade. During his lifetime he was a partner of TA Gibb Qianlong, carved with bat, peaches, narcissus and lingzhi, was sold at
& Co., as well as a director of London & County Bank, Hong Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3562; and see another related
Kong & Shanghai Bank, and The P&O Company (from 1888 white jade ruyi sceptre, 18th century, of similar size, which was sold at
onwards). Christie’s Hong Kong, 6 April 2015, lot 46.
青白玉質，如意頭靈芝形，上浮雕蝙蝠牡丹，寓意「富貴如意」，柄部
愛德華·福德生前從事對華金融及貿易行業。他曾是多家知名 修長彎曲，拱面浮雕壽桃，柄端雕南天竹及蝙蝠，柄背面雕祥雲蝙蝠。
洋行的合夥人，包括TA Gibb & Co.公司等，並曾先後擔任倫
敦銀行、匯豐銀行董事總監，並在1888年後任大英輪船公司 雲頭如意最早見於唐墓出土。到宋代，發展成為室內之陳設，明晚期
董事。 更成為文房不可或缺之物。清代以降，因其吉祥寓意，如意是大臣祝
賀皇室壽辰的首選，常居禮單之首。宮寢之中常見以如意裝點，帝王
肖像畫亦往往見有手執如意者。

參看北京故宮博物院清宮舊藏兩件青白玉雕如意，尺寸較本品稍大，
著錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編8清代玉器》，北京，2011
年，編號60及62。

倫敦蘇富比曾售出十八/十九世紀青玉如意，2014年11月5日，拍品編
號3。另見香港佳士得曾售出清乾隆白玉雕水仙壽桃靈芝如意，2011
年6月1日，拍品編號3562；另見香港佳士得售出十八世紀白玉雕如
意，大小與本品相當，2015年4月6日，拍品編號46。

78 | BONHAMS