Lot Essay
This ruyi scepter belongs to a group which employed colorful hardstone inlay and gilt-metal to create a lush, rich effect. Several scepters of this type are illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Ju-i Scepters in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1974, nos. 36, 40 and 42, as well as 21, which has a gilded redwood body. Numbers 40 and 42, especially, have carved gemstones representing various auspicious fruits and flowers, similar to the present example.