Lot Essay
The motifs decorating this sceptre are all very auspicious. The character Chun (Spring) on the head is also a metaphor for youth. Combined with the overlaying roundel of Shoulao, the god of Longevity, the sceptre would have represented wishes for eternal youth. These combined with the other imagery: the dragons amidst clouds, the flames rising from the bowl of 'treasures' and the Buddhist emblems also add to the auspicious nature of the sceptre. More frequent are the lacquer boxes decorated with the same imagery such as the peach-shaped box sold by Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3068. As they were commissioned by the emperor to be given away on the occasion of a birthday, one can think that the present sceptre was also made for a birthday celebration.