Silver Inlayed Wood & Jadeite Ruyi
From the Collection of Ms. Kim Stewart
Silver Inlayed Wood & Three Panel Jadeite Ruyi
Original Early Qing Dynasty Ruyi 55CM Long
This wonderful Ruyi first came to us from the collection of Ms. Kim Stewart for authentication and dating purposes. Upon first sight it was never in question whether the Ruyi was old, original and important. The main drive from that point forward has been to identify and record all the original portions of the Ruyi, locate the old and original Chinese repairs, place it in the correct time frame in Chinese History, and understand its importance to the Art World and to Chinese Culture in particular. This Ruyi has been in the Stewart family for two generations now, and was originally acquired around 1952 in California by Ms. Stewart’s Father, Duncan E. Stewart, a well-known Los Angeles surgeon at St. Francis Hospital.
A very fine site in which to view Imperial Ruyi Scepters can be found here: www.dpm.org.cn/English/e/e27/index.htm - and while this article pertains to the placing in history and the construction methods used for a particular Ruyi, this site of The Palace Museum in Taipei will enhance anyone’s general knowledge on the subject, and allow viewing of some of the Ruyi’s which will be mentioned here.
The famous “Three Panel” Ruyi’s were first developed toward the beginning of the Qing Dynasty and were considered during the late 17Th Century and through the 18Th Century to be all the rage in the Imperial court in Peking. They were the gifts to the Emperors of the period, and the gifts of Emperors to favored relatives and Civil Officials of highest rank. The extremely large size of this Ruyi is one of the tell-tale signs of its age and its importance, as only two are mentioned in the vast collection of the Palace museum in Taipei that are larger in size. Also the fact that there is only one Ruyi in this impressive collection that is made in this way with huge, solid, jadeite panels. While there is a beautiful full Ruyi over 40cm long made from a single piece of jadeite, showing Imperial Greens (of which, if ‘cabs’ were made from the Imperial green, they would be worth in the millions of dollars alone), the other pieces shown in their collection are either of nephrite or made with pieces of jadeite similar to the construction of ‘jade trees’. Another amazing facet of this particular Ruyi is its current in-situ condition with no museum preservation and the fact that it has stayed almost entirely intact for approximately 300 years while being originally made of ten pieces of wood to create the deep, sensuous curves and overall flowing design we see here today.
Ten Piece Wooden Construction - Fine Silver Inlayed Ruyi
Above Photo’s Taken with Canon EOS XSi
Large In-Situ Top Jadeite Panel In Gold Gilt Bronze
Photo Taken with Canon EOS XSi Using EF 24-70mm f/2,8L USM Lens
In this photograph of the large medallion at the head of the Ruyi, we can see how intricately the silver inlay was performed. The fact that it was hand-inlayed can easily be detected by the irregularities which occur in an original piece of artwork, as opposed to those which come from machining. Also, it is only on this top panel and along the sides of the ruyi, in the naturally exposed areas which were most handled, where the true color of the original wood can be best discerned. It appears to this writer that the wood belongs to the huanghuali (yellow or golden Rosewood and sometimes referred to as yellow-sandlewood) variety, which along with the size and intricacy of the overall workmanship, the silver inlay, gold-gilt bronze and massive jadeite plaques, would be one of the two woods of choice (along with Zitan) for an Imperial Ruyi Scepter. The Jadeite plaque which fills the center of the top portion of this Ruyi is approximately 9-1/2cm Wide X 8-1/2cm Hight X 4cm Depth within the gold-gilt bronze ring, and is in 100% in-situ condition. Finding any jade or jadeite piece from this period which has undergone no re-cutting or re-polishing is extremely rare, as almost all pieces have been worn, chipped (as this Ruyi has several small chips), handled to the point of wearing off the designs, buried to hide during wars, and other reasons, and just generally degraded from body salts, acids, polishing and the ravages of time. As an authenticator and curator, one must make decisions regarding cleaning the item in hand, the removal of any foreign substances (such as waxes or the almost obligatory dirt and polishes) used to “re-antique” an item which has undergone any restoration, or just leaving it in the state in which it was found. With most jade and jadeite items, we have to clean the items to make sure there has been no clever re-working and re-polishing and antiquing of the piece. However, with this Ruyi, the decision was easy as it was in such an in-situ condition, without even the normal cleaning and polishing which one would associate with an item of this importance. It came to us so original simply because no one had ever had the desire to do anything but leave the item alone ever since it found its home in the USA. We have only ‘shot’ the dust that would come off easily with canned air you would use to clean your computer (some still remains, as you can see in the photos where airborne residues common to the home have adhered). The minor repairs to the wood appear to have been made along time ago in China, with the exception of an aliphatic cementing (Elmer’s glue) of the bottom jadeite plaque, which has since ‘let go’ and is loose for examination (which will be seen in the Macro and Microscopic photographs). One last telling detail in the photograph above is the silver inlay starting to show up as being ‘lifted’ from the surface of the wood. This will be explained more as we get deeper into the article.
Reverse Side - Top Section of Ruyi Showing Typical Huanghuali Color
Reverse, Top Showing Old Chinese Pinned Repair to Curved Section
Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens
In first picture above we can see the definitive ‘grain’ marks and expected coloring of the famous Huanghuali wood, which is sometimes referred to in China as Yellow, or Golden Rosewood. The National Museum of Taipei refers to this wood as just Rosewood in its largest Ruyi in their collection at 77cm, but still makes mention of its complete Chinese name in the individual description of this magnificent piece. We have also seen this wood described as yellow sandalwood, but by any description, it is well-documented to be one of the woods most chosen for Royal use in China throughout modern history. The top medallion which holds the Jadeite is made of one single piece of wood, and as can be seen in both pictures above, the curving handle starts at the base with what appears to be another type of wood, but we do not believe that it is. We believe it is Huanghuali also, but of a different portion of the tree (like a limb of the tree) which has a darker color and was more conducive to the bending required to make the Ruyi. As this Ruyi was made from ten different pieces of huanghuali, so masterfully crafted, it is another marvelous example of early Qing Dynasty workmanship, in multiple media, that has withstood the ravages of time. Partly due to the fact that it never had to be buried to protect it from theft, it is only lacking the final repairs to make it as pristine as the ones pictured in the Palace Museum. Literally, with one day of work and a yellow tassel on the end, you could display this marvelous Ruyi next to any in the world and it will most certainly hold its own. However, being in such an in-situ condition, one can truly study its ‘history’ from conception to this very day much better, and if we end up doing any conservation on it at present, it will be only to give it a slight coating of special oil to further keep the wood ‘alive’. Even the original break in the curve of the handle tells its own story, and original repair in China only adds to the item’s character and authenticity. Of course an end buyer could do as they please and have it totally restored very easily, as approximately 97% of the silver inlay is intact and a ‘master’ could even match the ‘rising silver inlay’.
Center Plaque of Ruyi Showing Famed Peony Motif as Other Plaques
Naturally Separated And Repaired End Medallion of Ruyi Without the Jadeite and Gilt Bronze Insert
Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi using EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens
These two photos show the 100% in-situ middle medallion with peony motif, and the long-ago naturally separated, original joint, repaired and re-separated end medallion without its Jadeite plaque. In the bottom photo we can easily see the original red lacquer glue that held the bottom jadeite plaque in place, and the newer aliphatic cement that was used to hold it back in place during the last 50 years or so. The bottom ‘flange’ that has separated is part of the original ten pieces that made up the wooden portion of this Ruyi, and on the backside it shows where it had at one time been wet in the upper corner of the joint, which most likely caused the separation to occur. While the lacquer glues are impervious to water and solvents like acetone, the wood itself is not, and when swollen brings out the only known flaw with lacquer construction or repair – that of sideways pressure. Lacquer does have a tendency to get brittle over the years and while it can be soaked in tomb condition for millennia or immersed in acetone for months and still retain its integrity, a sideways shock either from force or from expansion can cause it to loose its bond. Being repaired at a much later date with the aliphatic cement provided only the most temporary of fixes. However, it is an easy repair for an experienced conservator. We have left it in its current condition so as to be able to easily put all the pieces including the Jadeite plaque under the microscope, to be able to more readily show all the original parts of construction, degradation and the Jadeite plaque tooling marks. When resting on a shelf six inches behind glass, one can not easily tell any damage has occurred to the Ruyi and it still keeps the piece in-situ and available to show in seconds under the microscope.
Bottom Jadeite Plaque Removed From Ruyi
Backside of Bottom Jadeite Plaque with Gilt Bronze Inset Ring
Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi using EF 24-70mm f.2.8L USM Lens
In the top photo above we can see clearly the Peony and Prunus design which was chosen for all three of the plaques on this exquisite Ruyi. As perhaps the most significant flower in China’s illustrious history, the herbaceous peony (Shao-yao) has been cultured since at least Neolithic times, and the tree form of the peony (Mu-tan) at least back to Tang Dynasty or earlier. The Peony has long been regarded as a symbol of feminine beauty, the sign for Spring and an emblem of love. These Royal Ruyi were known to have been presented at weddings and as gifts to the highest Ladies of the Court, and during the Qing Dynasty it has been noted that some marriage beds were decorated on all four corners with these regal scepters, or wishing wands. Perhaps this particular Ruyi was intended for the female side of the bed-chamber, and it’s not very much of a stretch to assume it may have been presented for a royal wedding with its meanings of feminine beauty, spring (February has always been the most auspicious time for weddings) and an emblem of love. As we start to explain our dating criteria for the Stewart Ruyi, we go first to the above picture of the Jadeite plaque, noticing the lack of deep piercing we start to find around the time of the middle to late 18Th century. This is much more in keeping in what is known of Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty jade workmanship. While not all pieces always fall into exacting specifications, and with the fact that ‘transition’ periods do exist, we look at what is known in a general sense and continue to eliminate anomalies along the way until we get as close as we can, not having been there when the piece was made. In the Palace Museum of Taipei’s web site we can find similarly shaped Ruyi’s, stated as being popular in the mid 18Th Century. The design of this Ruyi falls in nicely with that design, but as we look at other Ruyi’s from the Emperor Qianlong’s reign starting to be more straightened in the handle, we wonder if this is truly the case. As one looks through the three-panel ruyi section of the site, one can start to get a better feel for what is earlier in design, and which ones start to fall into the later design of more straightened handle, even if they do possess the three panels. These newer-looking ruyi’s have a more modern look and feel to them, and are deeply pierced, and when taken into account with every Ruyi represented on the site, we see an emerging pattern in all media in which these famous pieces were made. The ones with the larger three panels have an older ‘feel’ to them in general, and the sleeker looking Ruyi’s tend to have a bit younger dating when mentioned. There are a couple of exceptions but in general this is how we view it. So, we add we we know about this particular Ruyi, and we start to see an earlier patten emerge. We know the earlier wooden ruyi’s are said to be all the rage in the Court of the Emperor Yongzheng (1723-1735), and then we see more sleek ones being revered from the time of the Emperor Qianlong. The delicacy of workmanship from the Imperial workshops is well known to have progressed in almost all aspects during Qianlong’s Reign, and while there is undoubtedly some amazing artistry in all media known to have been produced during the Yongzheng’s Reign, in some particular respects it was not that it did not ‘equal’ the art in his son’s reign, but was more a case of being different from that which followed. Having mentioned the less deeply-pierced design common to the Ming and Early Qing Dynasty carving in jade, it was also very much the case with rhino horn, ivory and lacquer (to mention but a few). When one looks at the bottom of the Jadeite plaque above, we can see two more aspects of construction indicating that it is older than late 18Th Century. First is the continuation from Ming Dynasty and earlier techniques of a heavier bronze ring around the jadeite plaque (averaging 2mm thick) which would be reminiscent of earlier bronze techniques, with thinner pieces being more common from the mid 18Th Century on; and second is the way the master undercut the backside of the Jadeite plaque in strips and then ‘broke out’ the remaining sections, much as has been done with the core drill from Neolithic times. Leaving the bottom portion so unfinished is more a trait of late 17Th to early 18th Century workmanship and less so as that of mid to late 18th Century, from the hundreds of pieces from this period alone that we have examined under microscopic conditions. This will be better viewed in the coming macro and microscopic pictures, and it is because of all the features, wear and tooling we see on this Ruyi that we consider it highly unlikely to be much later than Yongzheng’s Reign and very possibly earlier in its construction. From the overall look and ‘feel’ of this Ruyi, we would place its actual construction at very late 17Th Century to right at the end of the Yongzheng Emperor’s reign. Almost every design in China and around the world has consistently produced earlier date estimations as more excavations and research are performed, as we now have pottery items proven from approximately 20,000 years ago – bronze items dating from around the Holocene Period (10,oooBCE) and most recently, iron artifacts dating to approximately 8,000 BCE. Many of these types of new discoveries will be documented on our coming new web site TimelessArtifact.com (under construction).
Macro Photo Of Old Chinese Repair; Some Inlay Missing
Center Medallion Showing Inlay, Gilt Bronze Ring & Jadeite
Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens
In the first photograph above we see an area, under just 1x of the Macro lens, that had been separating and was ‘tack’-glued back into place in China, using an old style of glue (perhaps a ‘pidden’ glue made of egg whites, as these old protein glues are virtually impervious to the elements and extremely difficult to remove) and a mixture of wood ‘shavings’ to match the color. Notice that some of the silver inlay is missing around the separation which occurs in a couple of small areas on the Ruyi, where repair or very minor damage from old ‘blunt trauma’ took place. This is very much to be expected in an authentic, old revered and used Ruyi. Where the colors of the different pieces look to be either cleaned or another piece of wood inserted, it is just the two different colors of two of the ten pieces of wood used to make up the scepter. The entire center spine up to the large top medallion is one piece – the base for the top medallion was made of another piece; there are ‘flanges’ cut to perfection on both sides of the lower medallions making up pieces 3,4,5,and 6. There are four more flanges on each side of the long spine between the medallions, helping to make the scallop on the back, using pieces 7,8,9 and 10. All pieces were masterfully created to blend into one flowing design that was later inlayed with fine silver (.925 or higher). Two of these outer flanges on both the center and bottom medallion had loosened with time and temperature and moisture change. Besides the extremely minor repaired areas, no real detectable ‘damage’ has occurred to this brilliant Ruyi over such a long period of time. This Ruyi is in such a beautiful and ‘true’ state it could proudly sit in any collection in the world or next to any museum piece and still bring awe from the viewer. The only real break occurred, most likely, while the Ruyi was still in China and was to the aforementioned area right next to the top medallion, and appears to be a very old ‘pinned’ Chinese repair, which in our eyes only adds character and authenticity. The lower photograph above shows, under the same 1x power of the macro lens, a close-up section where the jadeite, gold-gilt bronze ring and old huanghuali wood meet. It is here where we can also start to find other evidence of age that only time produces (as opposed to intentional aging of an item). While many replications of silver inlay, jade and gold-gilt bronze abound in the market for sale today, it is in the macro and microscopic photography where we begin to be able to tell with certainty that the effects we see with our naked eye, and even using a ten to twenty power loupe, have not been faked. In this picture we will start with the silver inlay alone and continue with deeper and deeper pictures of it and the bronze and gilt bronze. In old pieces of authentic silver inlay we see here, as in the fourth picture in this article, the inlay and how is rises from the wood over time, not laying flat as it was when first it was built and sanded and polished. The cause of this up-lifting when it is naturally occurring is the swelling and shrinking of the wood over long periods of times. This occurs from both weather and humidity conditions that are constantly changing daily, and can go to extremes if a piece travels from a naturally drier climate to a wetter climate. The wood will naturally swell with more moisture being absorbed by it, causing the soft, fine silver to ‘squeeze’ and become ‘flatter’ and wider. Hot and cold – freezing and thawing – also work on the wood and silver, as they do on all natural substances in artifacts, including the jadeite and the bronze in this piece.
Bottom Of Ruyi Showing Attachment Hole For Silk Tassel
Silver Inlayed Peony in Huanghuali Wood & Jadeite Ruyi
Two Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSI Using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5 X at 1X & 2X
In the first photograph above we find the suspension hole at the very bottom of the Ruyi where the golden silk tassel was most likely originally attached. On first glance, we can see the extreme wear on by a much-used and revered item in the naturally worn areas which produce an unmistakable shine along the bottom ‘lip’ and around the hole itself. The missing silver inlayed pieces around this area also show an item that was not just set upon a shelf and forgotten, as it was a used item, incurring the natural wear and damage as would normally be expected. Even portions of the original cinnabar-colored lacquer can be seen where the gold-gilt bronze ring fits into the wood. All the dirt and dust inside the suspension hole survived the high power air blast, and is indicative of dust that has accumulated on the entire Ruyi over many years, showing no attempt at creating an artificial patina. In the second picture above is a perfect example of the complex silver-inlayed peony which is repeated several times over the surface of the Ruyi. The main themes of the inlay are the peonies, prunus and lingbi scholar stones. Again, the natural wear, the lack of the nearly-obligatory ‘shoe polish’ and the overall condition of this Ruyi point it to a very early age, with our estimation being at least in the Emperor Yongzheng Period, and perhaps as old as the later part of the Emperor Kangxi reign.
Jadeite Prunus Showing In-Situ Condition
Reverse of Bottom Jadeite Plaque Showing Tooling Marks
Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi using MPE 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Lens at 2X
At the 2X Macro setting on our lens, the leaf, stem and platform start to reveal the type of polish, tool marks and lack of re-cutting and re-polishing to the Jadeite plaques on the Ruyi. Due to depth of field with this lens and uneven surface, we get the ‘fuzziness’ as we go deeper into the photo. The clearest portions on all the macro shots will be the area focused on, and in this case it is the tooling marks and the edge of the leaf. On this edge we can see the tiny pitting which has occurred as a result of touching, and the subsequent acids, salts and oils left on the stone from years of handling the Ruyi. Tiny chips start to show up here, from minor ‘knocks’ the jadeite has taken over the many years since it was first created. This happens more frequently with jadeite structure due to its more ‘granular’ nature (as opposed to nephrite), and we get these bits of grain falling out when slightly bumped or nicked. This even occurs when the jadeite is being worked with the heavier grits, as any carver of jadeite can tell you. This ‘pitting’ best shows up in this photo in the center of the leaf and to the viewer’s right, along the leaf’s edge as a ‘roughened’ area with minute dirt specks that have penetrated the holes left in the surface. The in-situ condition we speak of is best seen in the grooves left from the original working and polishing of the stone. If the leaf had been re-cut so as to re-define a worn off area, or even to repair a chipped surface, it would show up as a much more ‘whitish’ cut mark without the smooth and rounded edges we see in this photo. In the second photograph we can see the original grooving cuts made to the back of the plaque, as the deeper ‘ruts’ in the photo. These would have been first cut in rows into the back of the jadeite as a series of cuts, and the material in between them would have then been ‘snapped off using a metal pry bar of some type. Then the cut area would have been just lightly sanded during this period of manufacture. Later in the Qianlong Period, the imperial workshops, and even the independent masters, would have followed the edicts of the period and smoothed the back area and polished it to a much finer level. In this photograph we can easily see that very little polishing of the cuts took place, and even these have been worn fairly smooth naturally, as they were most assuredly completed before the finished design on the outside. The small pieces of malachite showing up in the photo are the result of copper fragments remaining in the gold-gilt and bronze ring that have come loose and started to degrade back to their natural state.
Huanghuali Wood and Silver Inlay Under 35X Microscopic Power
Silver Inlay on The Ruyi under 35X Microscopic Power
Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS under 35X Microscopic Power
The two photographs above show the current condition of the hundreds-of-years-old Huanghuali wood and fine silver inlay in this fabulous Ruyi. We can see the differing thicknesses of the hand-made silver wire, and the individual grooves made by the original Masters who created this beautiful piece of history. Some of the original polish or waxes can still be identified in the crevices and on the surface of the wood itself. While it is most assuredly polishes of differing ages, we can identify none of it as being new, and when we look into the parts inside the deepest portions of the natural graining, we can see the darkened colors it has taken on with age. In the upper photograph where the silver inlay has ‘pulled’ away from the wood, we can see the natural staining to the edges of the wood from its contact with the silver over so many years. The silver inlay still retains its silvery color, most likely from being in the extremely dry environment of the desert for such a long period of time. If this piece had remained closer to the ocean, where it was first acquired, a more darkened patina would be expected from the oxidation of the silver around a wetter and saltier environment.
A Portion of The Gold-Gilt Bronze Ring With Lacquer Glue & Degradation
Gold-Gilt Bronze Ring and Lacquer Glue at 35X Magnification
Above Two Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSI under 35X Microscopic Power
In the two above photographs we can see at 35X power the bronze ring on the bottom plaque of the Ruyi, which is loose and unattached. On both pictures you can see the dark red lacquer glue that was originally used to secure the bronze ring and Jadeite plaque to the groove cut into the bottom medallion (as seen in photo #8). In the top photograph, we can see in the middle a piece of malachite-encrusted aliphatic cement which has since fallen off the ring. This water-based glue was used to re-attach the ring when it loosened long ago and came of of the Ruyi. The malachite encrustation on the glue was caused from the moisture in the glue reacting with the copper component of the bronze. This can be seen to a lesser degree on the lower photograph, to the right where the lacquer glue is the thinnest, and a green tint can be detected between the lacquer and the gold-gilding on the ring. The inside of the ring also has this same type of patina, along with slight crystalline malachite growth from moisture seeping in (most likely during cleaning) under the ring. The gold-gilding to the right of the picture is in-situ, and is in comparatively fine condition after all these years, considering the handling and cleaning it has endured. It is interesting to note the slight abrasion marks that never got covered by the gold when it was first gilded, which would have been caused by the filing of the ring to smooth it out once the ring had been welded closed and prior to its insertion onto the jadeite plaque.
Original Tool Markings on The Back Of The Jadeite Plaque
Original Tooling Marks On The Jadeite Plaque At 35X
Two Above Photos Taken with Canon EOS XSi Under 35 Power Magnification
The above two photographs were taken of the outside of the bottom Jadeite plaque, as it was very easy to maneuver under the microscope and set in the ‘sand box’ to still the photograph. What we see in these two photos is exactly what is to be found on the surface of all three Jadeite plaques, the only exception being that the design changes. Over every surface on the plaques we find that there is no wax left to remove, as it has all been absorbed or worn away over the ages. What dust we see adhering to the jadeite is mostly that which has adhered to the stone naturally from airborne oils, such as household cooking oils. All of the pitting is totally natural to jadeite that has withstood the ravages of time in an above-ground situation. We see no evidence of prior burial of any length of time, and the degradation is only that which one would expect from handling, cleaning, and normal ‘accidents’ to the stone. The remaining tooling and sanding marks in both of the pictures is extremely telling to us, as the original polish on the plaques better matches that which is found on earlier items of the 18Th Century and not the smoother look we find on in-situ items from the mid 1700′s onwards. Even with the natural pitting inside the sanding marks on these plaques, we can still readily identify them as an older style than we see on original items stemming from the middle to later Qianlong period. During this later period, the sanding marks on jadeite and nephrite from Imperial pieces do not show, under this magnification, the striated, rougher, sanding marks found on either jadeite or nephrite, and are much smoother or entirely worn away, from the subsequent cleaning and polishing over the years. With every aspect of this wonderful Ruyi taken into consideration, we feel very comfortable placing it in the first half of the 18Th Century.
We would like to personally thank Ms. Stewart for the opportunity to study the Ruyi, and for her trust in allowing us every latitude on how we thought it should be studied. We also wish to thank Ms. Stewart at this time for her confidence and trust in the marketing of this exquisite Qing Dynasty treasure, and we should be able to have it for internet viewing when our new web site is finished, in less than a month from this writing.
David Fredericks – Yulongwei – Phone: 520-991-2153 (USA)
TimelessJade.com
TimelessArtifact.com
David Fredericks — Yulongwei
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