A pale céladon jade ruyi scepter, China. Photo Florence Number Nine
This magnificant white jade scepter is finely carved as a stem of lingzhi, the fungus of immortality in daoist doctrine. 36 cm. Estimate: €15,000 - €20,000
A very similar scepter is illustrated in the Guwan Tu (“Pictures of Ancient Playthings”) In the Victorian & Albert museum of London (S. Mccausland, in China. The Three Emperors. 1662-1795, exhibition catalogue edited by E.S. Rawski and J.Raawson, London 2005, nn. 168-169), A scroll (one of a series) with old and contemporary objects from the collection of the Emperor Yongzheng (1723-1736). this painting demonstrates the passion of Chinese sovereigns for ruyi scepters. A Series of similar ruyi scepters to this one once belonged to the Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong (1736-1795) and are now in the Beijing Palace Museum. THESE Examples are illustrated in the same catalogue cited above (nn. 273-282)
Florence Number Nine. Asian, Himalayan & Indian Works of Art. 18 May 2013 10:30am http://florencenumbernine.com/