A FINELY CARVED STAINED IVORY RUYI SCEPTRE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the shaft undercut from a single piece of tusk forming a twisted tree branch with two stalks of white millet intertwined with sprigs of peaches, lingzhi fungus, and narcissus, the branches and leaves stained a bright green, the peaches and lingzhi painted in red and brownish-green shades, the oval-shaped openwork head similarly decorated with millet, peaches and narcissus, the base of the shaft tied with a silk tassel

There are characteristic minor age cracks throughout as well as a few very minor chips to the carving. The overall condition is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ruyi sceptres were rarely made of ivory making this sceptre an exceptionally unusual piece. It is distinctive for its fine and naturalistic carving of fruiting peach branches entwined with sprigs of nandina, narcissus and lingzhi fungus. Sceptres of this pre-eminent quality enriched with abundant symbolisms suggest an imperial connection with the possibility that the piece was either carved by a court artisan or was made as a tribute item presented to the Palace. Ivory in China was never a 'canonical' material. It did not have literature devoted to it nor any connection to antiquity or ritual observances enjoyed by materials such as jade or bamboo. Ivory was purely appreciated for what it was, an expensive luxury import from distant lands that was aesthetically pleasing and easily workable. Imported mainly from the Malay-Thai peninsula, especially Thailand where it was a royal monopoly, ivory was a highly desirable decorative material mainly used for making small meticulously carved trinkets and intricate toys. During the Qianlong period, ivory carvings for imperial use were carried out in the Ivory Workshop (yazuo) attached to the Ruyi Guan in the Forbidden City. It was a small workshop with the majority of carvers originally from Canton where ivory carving was a well established craft. These artists had their mature style that was 'transported' to the Palace, often making it difficult to distinguish between pieces made in Canton and those carved in the Palace workshop. Naturally, yazuo ivory pieces had a status that was much desired as can be seen from the 18th century novel Hong lou meng (The Dream of the Red Chamber) where an Imperial concubine presents an ivory tablet manufactured in the Palace to her relative as a precious gift.

Ruyi sceptres were traditionally presented as a talisman for good fortune. Its auspicious association is connected with Buddhism, as it is thought to have developed from back-scratchers used by Buddhist monks and holy figures. Its shape was later adapted by Daoists who introduced the heart-shaped head rendered as a lingzhi or longevity fungus. The original function of the sceptre was lost over time and since the object had no practical purpose anymore it could take any form deemed suitable to express well wishing. It was the Yongzheng emperor who revived the auspicious tradition of the ruyi (literally 'as you wish') and commissioned the making of sceptres in various materials. He even had his portrait painted depicting him holding a wooden sceptre. This portrait, titled The Yongzheng Emperor Admiring Flowers, from the Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the exhibition China. Three Emperors, The Royal Academy, London, 2006, cat.no. 272. Sceptres by this time became an imperial object and were presented to the Emperor or members of the Imperial family and high officials as auspicious gifts on occasions such as birthdays and promotions. Its auspicious nature combined with the choice of material and high level of craftsmanship made sceptres the perfect imperial gifts. The Qianlong emperor was particularly fond of them and owed an extensive collection, a number of which were included in the Royal Academy exhibition ibid., cat.nos. 273-282.

The carved decoration of this sceptre gives the message of a birthday greeting. Narcissus (shuixian), nandina (tianzhu), rocks (shoushi) and fungus (lingzhi) together make up the pun zhixian zhushou which can be translated as 'may the Heavenly Immortal give his birthday blessing'. The nandina and narcissus together form a rebus for 'heavenly immortal', while peaches are of paramount importance to Chinese culture and symbolize longevity.

Although ivory sceptres are rare, one attributed to the 18th century and carved with foliage and hanging gourds was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Ivories from the Shang to the Qing, British Museum, London, 1984, cat.no. 160. Compare further three examples from the Kwan Collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Ivories from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1990, cat.nos. 146-148, one in the form of a peony spray with the flowers stained red and yellow and the branches and leaves brown and green (cat.no. 146) attributed to the late Yongzheng and early Qianlong periods, and the other two with later attributions.