A SUPERB YELLOW SERPENTINE-INLAID CARVED IVORY 'TRIBUTE BEARERS' RUYI SCEPTRE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

comprising three greenish-yellow gemstone plaques set in an ivory frame forming the head, the mid-shaft ornament and the terminal respectively, each carved with various figures, including one holding a whisk, one bamboo shoots, another a double-gourd, the plaques surrounded by a carved ivory foliate border, the ivory frame further meticulously carved in high relief along the curved shaft above and below the mid-section ornament with crowds of foreign tribute bearers, all amidst a rocky landscape scene detailed with verdant vegetation and architectural elements such as a bridge and a pavilion, further decorated with an elephant and a camel supporting tributes, a figure rendered with a wheelbarrow loaded with tributes, the underside of the head carved with archaistic ruyi-shaped scrolls, the reverse of the shaft decorated in low relief with a scene picked out with cranes and deer amidst a tranquil landscape of dense lingzhi-shaped clouds, jagged rocks, verdant vegetation and running water, the edges bordered with key-fret bands, the end pierced with an aperture to thread a tassel, stand

Collection of Sir William Seeds KCMG (1882-1973), British diplomat and ambassador to Russia and Brazil.
Christie's London, 18th May 2012, lot 1191.

Sceptres of this pre-eminent quality enriched with lavish and symbolic scenes 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. Ruyi sceptres were popular at the Court by this time 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 subject of the elephant carrying a vase on its back, forms the homophone Taiping youxiang ('Peaceful times').  Foreigners bringing elephants and tributes to the court is a popular subject depicted in all mediums, as it portrays the Qing Court as powerful enough to command foreigners to pay tribute. Compare a soapstone-inlaid hongmu screen, the third panel depicting foreigners guiding an elephant with a vase on its back, sold in these rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 2823, together with an embellished carved lacquer box and cover, lot 2865. 

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.