A GREENISH-WHITE JADE RUYI SCEPTER

18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A GREENISH-WHITE JADE RUYI SCEPTER
18TH/19TH CENTURY
The ruyi head well carved in relief with a bat above two ribbon-tailed birds perched in a prunus tree, with a further prunus tree carved in high relief atop the arched shaft, the stone of even greenish-white color
12 in. (30.5 cm.) long, silk tassel with glass bi, wood stand

Provenance

Acquired in Europe in the early 1990s.

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Lot Essay

As the first tree to bloom each year the prunus or plum tree represents perserverance and purity, and as the flowers appear on old branches, it is also a symbol of vigorous old age. The five petals of the flower represent the Five Blessings: old age, wealth, health, love of virtue, and a natural death. The combination of the hovering bat (fu) and the ribbon-tailed birds (shoudainiao) seen in the tree on the ruyi head represent the phrase, "May you have blessings and longevity," all fitting motifs for a ruyi scepter, which itself, signified 'as you wish.'

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