Lot 802. A yellowish-green jade ruyi scepter, China, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 12 ¼ in. (31.1 cm.) long. Estimate USD 120,000 - USD 180,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2019

The handle well carved with a dragon pursuing a flaming pearl amidst clouds, the terminal carved with an archaistic taotie mask, the stone of yellowish green color, hongmu stand.

Provenance: P. C. Lu & Sons, Ltd., Hong Kong, 1986.
The Irving Collection, no. 462.

Note: Yellow jade was highly regarded as early as the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) but rose to particular prominence during the Qianlong period (1736-1795). Yellow jade carvings are relatively rare compared to their spinach-green or white jade counterparts. The material was generally reserved for the very finest carvings and vessels of the Qianlong period, often carved with archaistic designs or forms. It is recorded in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) text Zun sheng bajian, (Eight Discourses on the Art of Living) that yellow jade is considered the most valuable type of jade, superior even to mutton-fat jade. 

The Qianlong emperor’s great love of jade combined with his passion for antiques resulted in his commissioning significant numbers of archaistic jade items, some inscribed with the characters Qianlong fanggu (Qianlong copying the ancient), such as lot 805 in the present sale. The present ruyi scepter conveys an archaistic style in both motif and form. The carving on the ruyi head resembles the taotie mask seen on archaic bronzes and the handle terminates in a form that is reminiscent of an archaic jade guiscepter. 

Four closely comparable yellow jade ruyi scepters dated to the eighteenth century are known. One larger ruyi (36.5 cm. long), with compartmentalized decoration and openwork flanges on the handle, rather than the continuous decoration of the Irving ruyi scepter, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Auspicious Ju-I Scepters of China, Taipei, 1995, p. 93, no. 20. A second example that is almost identical to the National Palace Museum ruyi scepter was sold at Christie’s, New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1291. Two other examples carved with chilong on the edge of the ruyi heads were sold at Bonhams, London, 12 May 2011, lot 81, and Christie’s, Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3251.