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Lot Essay
The present zitan ruyi sceptre is finely inlaid with silver wire forming bats and stylised shou medallions, creating a rebus that conveys the auspicious wish for blessings and longevity. The front is set with three openwork white jade plaques carved with ascending and descending dragons amid scrolling motifs. The refined workmanship and the harmonious integration of materials and iconography exemplify the imperial aesthetic of the Qianlong Emperor’s court.
The reverse is incised with an imperial poem, reading:
“Tu yuan jia se zi feng ren, mu sheng chun yang zhao fa sheng”
(“The earth nourishes agriculture, bringing abundant harvests; wood flourishes in the spring sun, initiating growth”),
and signed “Cao Wenzhi jing shu” (“Respectfully written by your servant Cao Wenzhi”). The verses are drawn from Yuandan shibi qi er (“New Year’s Day: Trial Composition, no. 2”), preserved in the Siku quanshu, Yuzhi shi er ji, juan 83, and form part of a group composed for the New Year of the jimao year, corresponding to 1759. The imagery invokes the Five Elements, specifically earth and wood, to express wishes for agricultural abundance and seasonal renewal.
The calligrapher Cao Wenzhi (1725–1798) was a senior official of the Qianlong court, serving as Minister of Revenue and a member of the Southern Study. He was among the emperor’s trusted court calligraphers, and comparable inscriptions bearing his signature are preserved in the Shenyang Palace Museum.
Ruyi sceptres held a prominent place within the Qing imperial court as both refined objects of display and symbols embedded in ritual and political practice. Favoured by the Qianlong Emperor, they were closely associated with New Year ceremonies and auspicious occasions, embodying wishes for prosperity, harmony, and fulfilment. They were also bestowed as imperial gifts upon officials and frontier leaders, and featured in important court ceremonies, including imperial weddings.
Combining imperial poetry, court calligraphy, fine jade carving, and auspicious symbolism, this ruyi encapsulates the cultural and political language of imperial art under the Qianlong reign and represents a rare and significant example of Qing court craftsmanship.
The reverse is incised with an imperial poem, reading:
“Tu yuan jia se zi feng ren, mu sheng chun yang zhao fa sheng”
(“The earth nourishes agriculture, bringing abundant harvests; wood flourishes in the spring sun, initiating growth”),
and signed “Cao Wenzhi jing shu” (“Respectfully written by your servant Cao Wenzhi”). The verses are drawn from Yuandan shibi qi er (“New Year’s Day: Trial Composition, no. 2”), preserved in the Siku quanshu, Yuzhi shi er ji, juan 83, and form part of a group composed for the New Year of the jimao year, corresponding to 1759. The imagery invokes the Five Elements, specifically earth and wood, to express wishes for agricultural abundance and seasonal renewal.
The calligrapher Cao Wenzhi (1725–1798) was a senior official of the Qianlong court, serving as Minister of Revenue and a member of the Southern Study. He was among the emperor’s trusted court calligraphers, and comparable inscriptions bearing his signature are preserved in the Shenyang Palace Museum.
Ruyi sceptres held a prominent place within the Qing imperial court as both refined objects of display and symbols embedded in ritual and political practice. Favoured by the Qianlong Emperor, they were closely associated with New Year ceremonies and auspicious occasions, embodying wishes for prosperity, harmony, and fulfilment. They were also bestowed as imperial gifts upon officials and frontier leaders, and featured in important court ceremonies, including imperial weddings.
Combining imperial poetry, court calligraphy, fine jade carving, and auspicious symbolism, this ruyi encapsulates the cultural and political language of imperial art under the Qianlong reign and represents a rare and significant example of Qing court craftsmanship.