Who has knowledge about "ruyi"?

Ruyi is a symbol of good luck, since ancient times, the literati have been preferred. Until today, some collectors of antiques and curiosities, collectors, still have a fondness for it. The reason for this, simply put, one is the production of Ruyi is very delicate, is not a work of art; two is Ruyi is small but can make people everywhere, naturally want to figure a good luck.

Because of the scratching stick

Ruyi, the ancient scratching stick. The back itch, the hand can not be reached, with a scratching stick to scratch, can be as desired, so it is called.

To date, the earliest production date found Ruyi, and today's "itchy scratch" is no different. Unearthed at the ruins of the old city of Shandong Qufu Lu carved teeth scratching stick, the remnants of about 40 centimeters long, straight handle, decorated with triangular cloud pattern, the head of the stick is a flexed fingers for scratching the itchy palm, decorated with scrolling clouds, the handle end of the carving of a beast head.

The name "Ruyi" was first mentioned in the book "Gleanings and Recollections" written by Wang Jia of the Jin Dynasty in 370 AD. There are two paragraphs in the book about Ruyi: Sun Quan, the lord of Wu, saw the portrait of Mrs. Pan, and "he was happy to caress it with a tiger's spirit, Ruyi"; Sun Quan's son, Sun He, "danced under the moon with a water spirit, Ruyi". Tiger's Prana" is "amber", a kind of fossilized plant resin, brittle, with very low hardness and electrified by friction; "Water Essence" is "crystal", a kind of hexagonal crystal. Water essence" is "crystal", a kind of quartz stone in the form of hexagonal columns, cold in nature. Both are not the production of scratching cane material, and, the late Warring States period of scratching cane residual length of 40 centimeters, heirloom and unearthed natural amber or crystal carvings, more than 20 centimeters, has been rare.

This inference, Wang Jia's "tiger spirit", "water essence" by the Ruyi, in addition to showing the emperor's life of luxury, but also revealed a message, Ruyi development to this point, is no longer just scratching utensils.

Ming Gao Lian "Zunsheng eight paper" cloud: "Ruyi, the ancients to iron for the prevention of untoward also, or used to direct the direction of the future." The so-called "command to the future", there are two meanings, one is with the randomly waving, pointing to the four stags, feather fan, is a talk of the Taoist defense of the Xuanxuan when the talk of the handle, such as Danyang unearthed in the Southern Dynasties, "Bamboo Forest Seven Sages" in the Wang Rong Bo sleeves and wide clothes, the right hand fingertips pick more than two feet long Ruyi, eloquent talk. Secondly, if the order flag, used to command the army in and out of attack and defense. The Book of Jin - Wang Dun biography: Wang Dun specializing in the military, holding the frontier troops, every time in the wine after singing Wei Wu Di's music poem, to Ruyi hit the spit pot for the festival, the mouth of the pot is missing; The Book of Liang: Wei Rui white bone Ruyi command army.

Gao Lian's theory of "using iron as a defense against unpredictability" is a rootless argument. There is a famous story in the Shishu Xinyun (New Sayings of the World) about Shi Chong and Wang Kai: one day, Wang Kai showed off a coral tree given by Emperor Wu, and Shi Chong used the iron ruyi as a striking staff to break it. Shi Chong, the character Jilun, the assassin of Jingzhou at the time of Emperor Wu, although there is no danger of misfortune, but not yet so bad as to hold a handle of Ruyi all day long, in case of misfortune.

Connected with Buddhism

Qianlong had given "iron Ruyi" a poem: "hold Jun molten iron is whoever, such as intentionally such as intentionally no. Huai Rui Mu Ran waving color phase. Huai Rui Mu Ran waved color phase, Ji Lun despise to hit the coral." "Gripping Jun" is an alias for Ruyi. The phrase "Huai Rui Mu Ran waving the color phase" means that the monk Huai Rui looked solemn and used a handle of Ruyi to drive away the temptation of sound and color. Here is another theory about the origin of Ruyi: Ruyi originated from the claw staff, an everyday object of Indian monks.

Ruyi, translated into Sanskrit as "Anaru", meaning "no perishable", "no poverty". In general Indian Buddhist texts, "Anarayu" is called "claw staff". In 401 A.D., in the Tathagata Sutra, Ruyi was described as a monk's daily necessity, along with a tin staff, a head dart, an umbrella cover, a curved hook, and a tongue scraper. Why did Yeshe, the translator of Buddhist scriptures, translate "Anaru" as Ruyi? Famous scholars Chen Xia Sheng that: "Yeshe translation of the Four Points of the Law, the custom of using Ruyi has been quite common, must be the translator has seen the Chinese Ruyi, will be the same shape of foreign objects translated into Ruyi." With the growing trend of venerating the Buddha, the Ruyi, the tin staff and the umbrella cover held by the Buddha were endowed with a kind of supra-material magical power. The Buddhization of Ruyi, among others, originated with the Chinese.

Manjushri, also known as "Manjushri", meaning "Wonderful Auspiciousness", specializes in wisdom. In ancient Indian Buddhist texts, Manjushri is shown holding a book in his left hand and a sword in his right. The same period of excavation of the Northern Wei Longmen Grottoes of Manjushri Bodhisattva, holding a handle of Ruyi, its shape and the Warring States scratching staff in a similar form. Both almost the same period of time, naturally there is no inheritance relationship. Chen Xiasheng believes that "the national shape of Manjushri holding Ruyi, its intention is to give Ruyi through Manjushri a symbol of wisdom, auspicious 'magic power'."

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, when wars were raging, emperors, generals and powerful nobles held Ruyi as a symbol of peace of mind and good fortune. In the Tang Dynasty, Yan Lipen painted the portrait of emperors and kings, Emperor Chen Xuan and Emperor Chen Wen were sitting on the bed of Kuang, holding a Ruyi in their arms.

Into the Tang Dynasty, the royal family to the Laozi descendants of the self-proclaimed, the trend of Buddhism is weak, as seen in the paintings of the royal nobles fewer than those who hold the Ruyi. Shaanxi Famen Temple Palace has unearthed silver gilt ruyi, handle is a curved head of a full of curly clouds, handle body is narrow and flat, curvature is very small, simple modeling in a kind of elegance without losing the magnanimity of the temperament, should be the Tang Dynasty relics. Japan's collection of two pieces of Ruyi, the production date of about the middle of the Tang dynasty, the head of the handle is fan-shaped, slightly curved mouth, one of the handle has a wave like scratching teeth, belong to the scratching claw.

Ruyi as a prayer for good luck, after the Song Dynasty, widely and freely transplanted, Puxian, Dazang, bright, moonlight bodhisattvas, and even luohan, nymphs, are hand-held Ruyi. The monks of the present day follow the trend of the Six Dynasties and hold Ruyi in their hands to preach sutras. Written in the Northern Song Dynasty three years of the "Shi Shi Essentials" said: "Ruyi, 'today's monks still hold it, more private record section of the text of the blessing of the speech in the handle, ready to forget. If the vulgar official's hand version'."

The heart of the escapees happy

The way and the purpose of the literati to implement the Ruyi, the Yuan and Ming dynasties began to be different from the six Dynasties of the Xuanxuan Shi. In gao lien "zunsheng eight paper", tu long "kao yu matter", will be classified as a literary room instrument play, from the yuan and ming paintings can be seen, such as books, incense burner, ink stone together with books in the book case. Zhao Mengzhao page "urn lattice picture", Ruyi by a boy holding a book.

Chinese culture is broadly a culture of complementarity between the civil service and seclusion, but the artistic theme is more about expressing the freedom and liberty of enjoying the landscape and traveling in the bamboo forest. Despite the implication that seclusion was a form of renunciation of the imperial court, the emperors were forgiving and even approving of it.

"Southern Qi Book - Gao Yi biography": the plains of the Ming Sheng Shao mark high perched, happy to play with water and stone, no intention of career. Gao Di presented a bamboo root Ruyi, to praise his seclusion and spirit of seclusion.

The high emperor gifted the form of Ruyi, guess is about according to the natural form of bamboo, a little carving and grinding, in order to fit the interest of seclusion and inaction. Whether this Ruyi for the bamboo root carving Ruyi of the beginning, history can not be examined. Wen Zhenheng in the "long things" cloud: "Ruyi, the ancients used to command the yearning, or to prevent the unpredictable, so the iron for the, not straight beautiful only. Get the old iron Ruyi, on the gold and silver wrong, or hidden or see, the best. As for such as natural branches, bamboo whips and other systems, are abolished."

Wen Zhenheng is the Ming Dynasty in the late Ming Dynasty, when the popularity of the wind of play, where the dynasty's porcelain, rhinoceros carving, bamboo carving, jade production, are competing for favor. Wen Zhenheng only beauty "old iron like", obviously contradicts the world. The theory is a personal aesthetic interest.

To natural tree branches, bamboo roots to make Ruyi wind has not yet been extended to the Qing Dynasty. Shunzhi in the early Qing dynasty, Kangxi two emperors advocate simplicity, order the ministers and workers are prohibited from offering ornamental objects, in the "National Palace History" and the Guangdong Tribute List, did not see the presentation of the records of the Ruyi. Kangxi reigned for 60 years, and Ruyi related records, only see a poem written by Qianlong, the poem recalls his grandfather had a natural branch of Ruyi and lucky grass, hand-planted in the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace in the bronze hydrazinium.

This Ruyi still remains in the Qianqing Palace West Warm Pavilion, traces, engraved with the word "Deiyou". Qianlong poem praise it is the most elegant of the Qing dynasty palace collection of Ruyi.

Link up and down the love

Yongzheng Emperor preferred lone ministers, in the reign of 13 years, had repeatedly rewarded Nianjuanyao enameled porcelain, reward Shanxi Governor Jueluo Shilin, Shaanxi Governor Xilin, Hedong Governor Tian Wenjing, Jiangnan Governor Fan renders, Ningyuan General Yue Zhongqi, and other people such as Yi. Qianlong practiced after the throne, the wind of luxury is flourishing, the Forbidden City Palace, Sanxi Hall, as well as Chengde summer resort palace, in the right side of the imperial seat are placed a handle of inlaid jade ruyi.

Qianlong sixty years, ready to do the emperor Qianlong, gave Yuking Palace to Jiaqing living, while rewarding a handle of jade ruyi for furnishings. Qianlong fifty-eight years (1793), the British Ambassador Maganir went to the summer residence for an audience with Qianlong, Qianlong rewarded the King of England, the ambassador, deputy ambassador and his entourage with a jade rudraksha. Maganir in the "qianlong British ambassador to an audience" in a book, wrote: "but this Ruyi, is a kind of a foot and a half long white stone carved flowers, stone quality slightly like agate, although the Chinese think this thing is exceptionally expensive, I think the original price of this thing, may not be worth money."

Maganir is an ugly knowledge of the people, both do not understand jade, but also do not know jade carving Ruyi is a national gift. Qianlong and is a good spread of the emperor, during his reign, there have been a number of gifts to the "belonging to the state", such as North Korea, Ryukyu, Siam, Annam and other countries of the king, the prince and the messenger. Ruyi reward wind, to the middle of the Qianlong period, reached a kind of readily given the abusive reward point. Qianlong forty-seven years, the military office to comply with the order of the compilation of the "Siku Quanshu" 69 people each a handle of jade.

Local governors of the annual tribute to the party, accompanied by the presentation of Ruyi, began in the early years of the Yongzheng. To the Qianlong dynasty, the provincial governors tribute to the party, led by Ruyi, and the number of dramatically increased. The National Palace History: Qianlong sixteen years of the Empress Dowager 60 birthday, the court offered Ruyi 10 handles; Qianlong twenty-six years, the Empress Dowager 70 birthday, the court presented Ruyi increased to 57 handles.

The Qianlong that Ruyi symbolizes good luck, the ministers submitted to the Ruyi, a single acceptance. Once, a minister's home, found a price list, written on the "a handle of jade price of four thousand taels of silver". Qianlong listened to the horror, then issued a decree prohibiting the ministers and workers into the Ho-Tepe jade Ruyi. Before the abdication, Oracle: "the next year chen, the session I return to the Government for the Emperor, from the beginning of the year chen, inside and outside the Minister of all the annual festival three tribute, there is no need to prepare things to be presented into. But on New Year's Day and I and the emperor's birthday celebrations, in the court of the King's ministers must also be prepared into the Ruyi, in order to receive good luck and Shen Shen Shen sleep, over the day is still not divided to give people also."

The Qianlong decree institutionalized the "filial piety" of the ministers to present their wishes. Princes and ministers, governors and governors do not hesitate to customize, purchase and hide Ruyi, in order to prepare for the annual festival, the emperor, the empress's birthday when the tribute. Jiaqing after the pro-government, still maintain the old system of Qianlong, will be as a kind of ruler and ministers "joint up and down the love" of the media, regardless of rank are allowed to pay tribute.

Upward and downward, such as the system of submission, rapid socialization. Every year, festivals, celebrations, the officialdom within the court, up and down the gift of Ruyi, "to receive auspicious". With the presentation of the wind blazing, acceptance of Ruyi alienated into a way of gathering wealth. Fujian Governor bribery case, found that the Governor Wu Rana home collection of embedded jade Ruyi 112 handle, andrography Ruyi 2 handle, sandalwood Ruyi 1 handle, embedded stone Ruyi 9 handles; governor Pulin origin home collection of three inlaid Ruyi 157 handles, gold Ruyi 3 handles; Buzhengji home collection of Ruyi 14 handles, nitrate Ruyi 2 handles; by the police to make the home collection of gold Ruyi 9 handles, the whole of the jade Ruyi 2 handles, with the table Ruyi 1 handles, three inlaid Ruyi 121 handles, stone carving lacquer, etc. Ruyi 7 handles.

Fujian Governor Yamen's four chief officials, compared with and Wang Shen, can be said to be small. Confiscation of military minister and Wang Shen's family property, copied and searched 120 handles of jade ruyi, inlaid jade ruyi 1,601 handles.

Daoguang ascended to the throne, repeated orders to limit the qualifications of the court into the Ruyi personnel, Ruyi into the slightly reduced. Into the Tongzhi dynasty, Ruyi rose to the emperor's wedding ceremony of the official Ruizhi.

Extremely clever

Ruyi into the institutionalization of the ceremonial, greatly stimulate the production of Ruyi and craftsmanship. 2002 Hanhai Autumn Auction, there are 7 handles of the Qing Dynasty Ruyi, from these Qing Dynasty Ruyi system, craftsmanship, you can see Ruyi production of exquisite.

Like a mid-Qing ivory dragon Ruyi, 32.5 centimeters long, the head of the handle in the shape of a group of clouds, open-work carving of two dragons playing with beads, cloud pattern ground. The curvature of the body of the handle is in the shape of an "S", the top and bottom of the shallow relief carving of flowers, the middle is slightly wider, open carving of four bats, cloud pattern ground. The end of the handle is oval, with two bats carved in open relief on a cloud ground, echoing the middle of the handle.

This Ruyi is similar to the Ruyi held by Manjushri at the Buddha's Light Temple in Wutai Mountain, carved in the Tang Dynasty, and it was popularized after the Northern Song Dynasty, becoming the standard type. There are two types of traditional enforcement: one is to hold the middle of the handle with the right hand, and the left hand holds the bottom of the handle, right up, left down, and diagonally in front of the chest; the second is to hold the middle of the handle with the right hand to prevent it from slipping down, and the curvature of the handle is designed as an "S" shape. Tang and Song Dynasty, the width of the handle for the upper wide and narrow, after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the middle of the handle, that is, the right hand grip, more slightly wider.

Ivory carving Ruyi process is generally two kinds, one is the standard type, one is to take the shape of natural bamboo and wood. Such as the qing dynasty ivory carving ganoderma lucidum ruyi, is based on natural and carved into. The head of the handle takes the basic form of a lingzhi and is represented by a scrolling cloud pattern. The body of the handle is intertwined with withered branches, between which are carved small and large lingzhi in the round. The end of the handle is inscribed in seal script in a hard, clumsy handwriting. The beauty of this piece lies in the cloud pattern, which gives it the illusion of being a cloud, but not a cloud, like a ganoderma lucidum, but not a ganoderma lucidum.

The above two Ruyi, the former is a gift, the latter is the literati study play.

Taking natural wood roots, branches, without a knife, or slightly carved into a ruyi, the North and South Dynasties have been popular. In the functional evolution of Ruyi, root carving Ruyi has always been both scratching the staff and talk about the dual function of the handle, the literati are extremely favored. Such as the Qing boxwood Ruyi, take the natural form of the boxwood root, a little carving and grinding into. Two branches and born, a small two gall tumors naturally formed handle head and handle grip, natural curvature naturally formed "S" shaped curvature, give a person a branch away from the sick. This aesthetic is popular in the Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, at that time, in the wild literati hibernation in the countryside, such as deserted graves Artemisia, in order to express the heart of grief and anger, rebellious feelings, put forward a "rather clumsy, rather ugly than clever, rather ugly, rather than Mei" of the aesthetic point of view. From this point of view, this is not so much a prayer for good luck, rather than a portrait of the downtrodden literati.

Another boxwood carving Ruyi, compared to the one above, more than exquisite, slightly pale ancient, which does not show the knife marks carved into the gall tumors handle head and branches and vines entwined with the handle, in the coiled branches and vines, carved in the round to symbolize the wisdom and knowledge of the Ganoderma lucidum. This is quite artisanal and ingenious, however, non-literary interest, should be a scholar's room for the clear offerings.

Cloisonné three inlaid ruyi is the most prevalent in the Qing dynasty a kind of ruyi modeling, that is, the handle head, handle grip, handle end inlaid with jade. The head, grip, end of the three places for the gold inlaid Ho-Tepe white jade, handle body for cloisonné. Cloisonné firing process is delicate, exquisite, the shape is correct, standard, and decoration has obvious palace pattern design of the type of characteristics, Chen in the case, there is a kind of inviolable elegance and hall of official gas. General three inlaid ruyi embedded jade, more green or gray, dry jade, rough cut. The inlaid jade of the Ruyi introduced in the text is white and moist, and finely faceted. In a jade drought years, get this good jade famous work, not the general public can; Second is the Daoguang ascension to the throne, had Oracle Prince, County King, Baylor, one or two ministers, the Qianqing Palace one guards, allowed to be submitted to the Ruyi, three officials are not non-longevity celebrations, are not allowed to be submitted. In view of the strict limitations of the presentation of Ruyi, princes and officials turn to find new things to invite favor, Ruyi production decline, elegant, ancient fine, almost extinct folk.

The enamel inlaid with gemstones double peach Ruyi is the Qianlong period of the Qing Palace Office of the production of the imperial objects.

Ruyi material, has been a wide range of eclectic, according to pre-Tang literature and historical records, there are white jade, crystal, amber, bone, rhinoceros, lacquer, wood, bamboo, teeth, iron and so on. To the Qianlong dynasty, the production of Ruyi material more and more expensive, the emergence of gold, silver, jade, jadeite, gemstones, pearls, enamel, porcelain, bump gold, wrong gold and silver, incense, agate, coral and so on.

This Ruyi to gold casting a gnarled old hard peach branches, on the knot two peaches, a jade, a tourmaline carving, peach leaves, if facing the strong wind, close to the branch, for enamel firing. Craft integration cast gold, enamel, inlaid in one, the jade quality YingRun, BiYanYan, peach leaves green like autumn water, branch stem gold through red, this ware material are good, exhaustive extremely clever, luxury beauty luxury, belong to the Qing dynasty palace manufacturing office enamel work of the work of the heart. White jade peach engraved "Qianlong imperial play" 4 words, fill in the gold clerical script, its take the shape of the peach shape, should be a ceremony for the Qianlong longevity celebration of the ceremonial Ruiqi.

The Qianlong Imperial Ruyi spikes belt waist ornaments of the weaving, pattern, generally have flowers and crabs, longevity, double happiness, ten thousand words, etc., very rich pray for auspicious expression. This Ruyi tie red silk long spikes, waist ornaments disc long knot, meaning auspicious forever.

Ruyi, a refreshingly auspicious words, the ancients to a handle by a scratching stick, thousands of years, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are worshiped as "executive friend", emperors and generals worship as "hold the king". In our lives, good luck has become an eternal prayer, as desired and expected every day, every time, every thing. It is no wonder that today's people also have a few favorites, at any price to hide in the love room

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