 |
| Ruyi ("As You Wish") |
|
Visitors to Beijing's Forbidden City will notice a valuable exhibit
called ruyi (formerly spelt as juyi) with a head like a shred of
cloud and a long body or handle in the shape of a flat S. It may
be made of any of a wide range of valuable materials: gold, jade,
jadeite, crystal, agate, coral, agolloch eaglewood, bamboo, bone
and what not. And the workmanship is often quite meticulous: it
is carved with patterns in incision, low-relief or openwork and
sometimes inlaid with silver, gold and gems. The designs may be
simple or very elaborate but invariably convey messages of good
wishes, such as "pine and crane" (standing for vigorous
old age), "immortals wishing you longevity", "phoenix
and peony" (standing for wealth, happiness and prosperity),
and the like.
The ruyi, it is said, was born out of a common Chinese article
of household use- the itch-cratcher. This is a stick about 1.5
feet long, with one end in the form of a miniature hand with bent
fingers. Holding it, a man can scratch the itches on his own back
and thus get a feeling of well-being. It is still used by some
people in China today. Usually made of commonplace wood or bamboo,
it is popularly called by the descriptive name laotoule ("old
man's joy").
The itch-scratcher, being a joy, began to be made of more valuable
materials for those who could afford it. But apart from being
an art object, it continued to be used for its original purpose
until sometime during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It gradually
became a pure ornamental object called ruyi ("as you wish").
The right place for the elevated and transformed itch-scratcher
was now on the bedside table of the imperial sleeping chamber,
by the side of the throne. . . to be appreciated daily by the
emperor and his numerous wives. On every occasion of court celebrations,
such as enthronement, royal wedding or birthday, the nobles and
courtiers would be busy raising money and ordering whole sets
of ruyi for presentation. On the 60th birthday of Emperor Qianlong
(1700), for instance, the ministers presented to him 60 ruyi of
gold filigree. Likewise, on the 60th birthday of the Empress Dowager
Cixi (1894), she got 9 times 9 or 81 ruyi. (The number 9 X 9 symbolizes
infinity or an endless long life.) The ruyi was also used by the
emperor, when he chose a concubine out of a number of candidates,
to point at the one catching his fancy.
The presentation of ruyi was not a one-way affair: it was often
bestowed by the emperor upon his ministers or subjects. There
is still a valuable collection of them in the Mansion of Confucius
in Qufu, Shandong. They were given by various emperors to the
descendants of the great sage.
It is still difficult to pinpoint the time of the first emergence
of the ruyi, although no archaeological finds of them date from
before the Qing Dynasty. They are much valued but commonly seen
objects of decoration in the old Qing palaces, but outside of
Beijing one rarely comes across them in provincial museums. |
|
China Tour
Package
