Page 148 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art April 3 2018

3631

A HARDSTONE-EMBELLISHED AND GILT- 清十八至十九世紀 白玉嵌寶描金福壽如意
DECORATED WHITE JADE RUYI SCEPTRE
QING DYNASTY, 18TH – 19TH CENTURY
the curved shaft terminating into a ruyi head, elaborately
inlaid with jadeite bats in flight amongst succulent rose-quartz
peaches borne on leafy boughs of spinach-green jade, the
reverse and the sides incised and filled with gilt depicting
flying bats amongst scrolling clouds and lingzhi, bamboo and
narcissus, the stone of a translucent white tone, silk tassel and
wood stand
42.3 cm, 16⅝ in.
HK$ 1,200,000-1,800,000
US$ 154,000-231,000

Ruyi sceptres of this magnificent size are rarely fashioned Related embellished white jade ruyi sceptres, attributed to the
in jade, given the scarcity of good quality boulders large Qianlong period, include two in the National Palace Museum,
enough to make objects of such impressive dimensions. The Taipei, one decorated with peaches, bats and lingzhi fungus
present jade sceptre is also notable for the vibrantly coloured in lapis lazuli, coral and glass, included in the Museum’s
inlaid design that was carefully selected for its auspicious exhibition Masterpieces of Chinese Ju-i Scepters in the National
connotations. Sceptres of this type were produced from the Palace Museum, 1995, cat. no. 6, and the other, finely inlaid
reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795), who was so fond with various gemstones depicting peaches, narcissus on the
of such objects (see Li-tuan Chang and Terese Bartholomew ruyi terminal and bamboos, lingzhi and rockwork on the shaft,
in Emperor’s Treasures. Chinese Art from the National Palace exhibited in Emperor’s Treasures. op. cit, cat. no. 178. See
Museum, Taipei, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2016, p. also one from the Johannssen Family Collection, inlaid with
241). pink tourmaline, coral, lapis lazuli, malachite and turquoise,
with a design of bats, bamboo branches, peaches, lingzhi and
The ruyi (literally meaning ‘as you wish’) sceptre is a talisman
flowers growing from rockwork, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong,
highly favoured for its shape, which resembles the immortality
1st June 2011, lot 3640; and another encrusted with peonies
fungus, lingzhi. Both the head and shaft are sumptuously
and peaches in pink tourmaline, jadeite, agate, lapis lazuli and
fashioned with bats in jadeite and peaches in rose-quartz,
malachite, sold in these rooms, 30th October 1991, lot 491, and
which collectively form the rebus ‘May you have both blessings
again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26th April 2004, lot 1227.
and longevity’ (fushou shuangquan).

146 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比