The 160-piece set of Ruyi on display in the Forbidden City has attracted attention. Do you know the origin and history of Ruyi?
The Palace Museum’s first exhibition of the new year, "Auspicious Ruyi", was officially launched. The museum said that this time, 160 sets of Ruyi handles were carefully selected from more than 2,000 Ruyi handles in the museum's collection, including jade Ruyi, bamboo and wood Ruyi, and metal Ruyi. The five units, including Ruyi, Jiujiu Ruyi and other materials, comprehensively reflect the rich materials, beautiful shapes, exquisite craftsmanship and many themes of Ruyi in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The Forbidden City also provides a simple tour guide. After wandering around the exhibition hall, you will be overwhelmed by the room. Outside the exhibition hall, you can overlook the beautiful scenery from the Shenwu Gate and feel comfortable physically and mentally.
As everyone knows, Ruyi is an object for people to entrust their good wishes to, so what is its history and origin?
Ruyi, a tool used by Chinese folk to scratch itches in the old days. Popular in most parts of the country. Appeared around the Warring States Period, it was also called "scratching stick". The southern and northern dynasties of our country had different names for this thing.
The end of the handle is in the shape of a finger, which can be used to scratch itches as desired, hence the name. There are also cases where the end of the handle is in the shape of a heart. When the monk lectures on sutras, he also keeps Ruyi in mind and writes down the sutras in order to prevent them from being forgotten.
According to relevant records, this object existed as far back as the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, it had become one of the palace treasures. Its shape is made of cloud patterns and Ganoderma lucidum with a head connected to a long handle. The original "Ruyi" evolved from the ancient wat and scratching stick. At that time, people used it to scratch the itchy areas that could not be touched by their hands, so it was named "Ruyi". "Ruyi" is a special product among jade carvings and a traditional auspicious object in my country.
Although Ruyi has different purposes, the original Ruyi undoubtedly imitated the shape of human hands. This creative concept can also be said to be the extension of human will. The hand shape of Ruyi evolved into cirrus cloud shape, Ganoderma lucidum shape, heart shape and flower shape Ruyi. It was after the Tang Dynasty. It was made with gold and jade jewelry, which not only made it a kind of art, but also added a bit of immortality and peaceful charm. . By the Qing Dynasty, Ruyi's craftsmanship had reached its peak, and its functions had reached unprecedented nobility. On every New Year's Day, princes, ministers, and governors would visit Ruyi in order to obtain good fortune. Therefore, people from all over the country flocked to the jewelry market. , a poem about the price of a moment of happiness. Nowadays, the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty can be admired in the Forbidden City and Summer Palace in Beijing. Among the people, large-scale Ruyi is a kind of furnishing in the hall, and small-scale Ruyi is a gift to show auspicious wishes. Common materials include gold, silver, jade, horn, tooth, jade, coral, copper, bamboo, wood, etc. In times of elegance and leisure, literati recited poems and chanted poems and performed "Ruyi Dance" using it as a rhythmic device. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, it gradually turned from a practical product into an artistic display for people to appreciate and entertain. The shape of Ruyi's head is basically unchanged, while the shape of the handle changes from straight to small Ganoderma lucidum or cloud-shaped. The head and tail echo each other, the main body is streamlined, the handle is slightly curved, and the shape is beautiful and gorgeous.
Today, you can appreciate the Ruyi of the Qing Dynasty royal family in the Palace Museum. There is a gold wire-embedded three-incense stick on display in the Treasures Hall of the Palace Museum. Its structure is very ingenious: there are three incense sticks on the head, handle and middle of Ruyi. The gold threads on the body of the vessel are inlaid with tourmalines, pearls, gemstones, etc., which are dazzling and eye-catching. It can be called the best of Ruyi. However, once many kinds of handicrafts develop to the point where too much emphasis is placed on complicated forms and exquisite materials, their end is not far away.
So, although Ruyi entrusted people with their best wishes, the popularity of Ruyi in folk furnishings and gifts has gradually faded away.