QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Jade sceptres of such even white colour and large size are rare due to the sheer size of the boulder required to carve it. The ruyi, a longstanding auspicious symbol in Chinese art, gained popularity in the Qing dynasty when it was often used as a gift to the Emperor on his birthday. The current ruyi, carved with five bats on the shaft and head, forms the auspicious rebus wufu linmen, ‘May the five blessings descend upon this home’.