{"id":6803,"date":"2024-10-11T21:52:52","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T21:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pagodared.com\/blog\/?p=6803"},"modified":"2024-11-11T19:19:13","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T19:19:13","slug":"as-you-wish-the-ruyi-symbol-in-chinese-japanse-decorative-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pagodared.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/11\/as-you-wish-the-ruyi-symbol-in-chinese-japanse-decorative-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"As You Wish: The Ruyi Symbol and Magical Mushrooms in Chinese & Japanese Decorative Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In modern pop culture, \u201cas you wish\u201d is the catchphrase of secretive pirates and all-powerful genies. Say it aloud at a party, and film fans will immediately think of Wesley\u2019s devotion to Buttercup in The Princess Bride<\/em>. It\u2019s a phrase from fiction, one that builds on our fascination with objects and people that could magically fulfill our desires. In Chinese and Japanese decorative arts, however, the appeal of \u201cas you wish\u201d has extended beyond stories \u2014 through the enduring popularity of the ruyi symbol. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Ruyi Scepter in the Shape of a Fungus of Longevity
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The B. D. G. Leviton Foundation Gift, 1984<\/sub><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Ruyi itself means \u201cas you wish.\u201d Originally, it referred to the \u201cwish-granting wands\u201d known as ruyi scepters which were given as birthday gifts to imperial rulers and important members of the court. These lavish wands were often topped with cloud-like forms that resembled lingzhi mushrooms \u2014 also called reishi mushrooms \u2014 which were thought to have magical properties that could ensure immortality.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dried Lingzhi Mushrooms<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Over time, the ruyi took hold as an auspicious symbol, its simplistic form often found in tandem with bat and peach symbols. The ruyi mushroom symbol abounds at PAGODA RED, and can be found in almost every type of material, including porcelain, wood, metal, and silk. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Blue & White Tea Leaf Jar <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The stylized curves of the ruyi mushroom make it a beautiful repeat in pattern. Ruyi can often be found encircling the rims and bases of Chinese baluster jars, porcelain dishes and ginger jars. The blue and white tea leaf jar<\/a> above is a wonderful example of ruyi crowning a piece that is laden with symbolism \u2014 almost every detail on this porcelain jar is an auspicious symbol, from the double phoenixes for love to the peonies for good fortune. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Good Fortune Jars<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Courtyard Doors<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Eternity Jar<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tea leaf and ginger jars might welcome good fortune indoors, but ruyi could also be used to welcome guests and bring protection through use on exterior architecture. One example is the impressive mid-19th c. courtyard doors <\/a>shown above, which feature horizontal decorative iron plates in the shape of ruyi symbols. These doors would have been the outermost entrance gates to a traditional Qing dynasty courtyard home, their protective symbolism facing outward to the world beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Japanese Keyaki Elm Tabako-Ban<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We\u2019re especially delighted when we spy a ruyi mushroom somewhere unexpected \u2014 and this often happens with objects featuring metalwork. This whimsical Japanese keyaki tabako-ban<\/a> has both a cloud-like ruyi and sakura blossom carved into its domed brass lid. Here, the lingzhi mushroom inspiration is at its most abstract, its cloud shape a sly nod to tobacco smoke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ruyi Hairpin <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Red Painted Mirror<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Double Gourd Bottle<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ruyi on these metalwork objects can range from these individual abstract clouds to ornately detailed versions. A double gourd snuff bottle<\/a> from the Qianlong period is one charming example, its sides embellished with a repouss\u00e9 design of ruyi and gourds on the vine. Together with plum blossoms, these symbols are the grounding, earthly elements below a lid carved in the shape of five bats, a Shou symbol for longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Golden Dragon Imperial Silk Robe<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

At first glance, this exquisite Golden Dragon silk robe<\/a> seems to feature a backdrop of blue cumulus clouds, through which golden dragons fly in a celestial scene. Look closer though and these clouds are beautifully embroidered ruyi symbols. This silk garment would have belonged to a person of great status. Its gold, green and blue imagery represents the splendors of the heavenly realm \u2014 but also the auspicious power of the earthly mushrooms of longevity. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Eight Drawer Ruyi Altar Coffer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Carved wooden furniture often showcases a greater variety of mushroom forms, beyond the stylized cloud-shaped ruyi. The spectacular 19th century ruyi altar coffer <\/a>above features eight carved, rounded mushrooms \u2014 one for each drawer. In China, eight is considered an auspicious number because the words for “eight” and “luck” share a pronunciation in Mandarin. This symbolism-laden table would have held pride of place in its original home. A more naturalistic mushroom form can be seen on a monumental Ruyi altar table<\/a> below. Each of its carved legs features smooth reishi mushrooms that appear to grow upward from the base of each table leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ruyi Altar Table<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Ming Officials Chairs<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Low Kang Table <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The variation of ruyi symbols across Chinese altar tables, roundback chairs, and kang tables means there’s often something for every design preference, from clean-lined to ornate. The carved feet of a low kang table <\/a>might be a discrete introduction to the ruyi, while a pair of Ming dynasty styled official’s chairs<\/a> showcase it as a stand-alone centerpiece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The popularity of Chinese and Japanese antiques endures in part because these pieces beautifully evoke our wishes and desires through symbolism. The ruyi is an encapsulation of this, a captivating reminder of both the natural world and the supernatural one, a nod to the universal appeal of having a wish fulfilled. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In modern pop culture, \u201cas you wish\u201d is the catchphrase of secretive pirates and all-powerful genies. Say it aloud at a party, and film fans will immediately think of Wesley\u2019s devotion to Buttercup in The Princess Bride. It\u2019s a phrase from fiction, one that builds on our fascination with objects and people that could magically […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[4,3,5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAs You Wish: The Ruyi Symbol and Magical Mushrooms in Chinese & Japanese Decorative Arts - PAGODA RED Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A deep dive into the Ruyi mushroom symbol, its importance in Asian art and decor, and a look at the Ruyi pieces in our collection.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pagodared.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/11\/as-you-wish-the-ruyi-symbol-in-chinese-japanse-decorative-arts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"As You Wish: The Ruyi Symbol and Magical Mushrooms in Chinese & Japanese Decorative Arts - 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