QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Ruyi scepters, such as this sumptuously decorated example, were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and were given as gifts on birthdays and other festive occasions. They symbolize good fortune and the term ruyi signifies 'everything as you wish it'. The head of the ruyi is based upon a stylized form of the lingzhi fungus, which was believed to be able to prolong life.

A virtually identical cloisonné enamel ruyi scepter dated to the Qianlong period, from the collection of Anthony and Marieta Coleridge, was sold in Five Private Collections; Christie’s London, 19 July 2022, lot 187.