Ruyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor

Ruyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This scepter was fashioned from bamboo veneer, a special technique where the exterior layer of a bamboo stalk is used to create a soft and smooth appearance resembling boxwood. Such works were popular in the imperial workshop because of their appeal to the Qianlong Emperor. The back of this scepter was incised with a poem composed by the emperor in appreciation of the bamboo scepter as an ideal literati object: “[The bamboo scepter] loves to stay where only witty conversa­tion takes place, and feels like meeting real gentlemen.”

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ruyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong EmperorRuyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong EmperorRuyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong EmperorRuyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong EmperorRuyi scepter with poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.