A RARE HARDSTONE-INSET GILT BRONZE RUYI

The present ruyi belongs to a group which employed colourful hardstone inlay and gilt-metal to create a lush, rich effect. Several ruyi 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. Cf. nos. 40 and 42, ibid., with similarly carved gemstones representing various auspicious fruits and flowers, comparable to the present example.