Ruyi
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Ruyi (如意) literally means "as you wish" in Chinese. A typical ruyi is composed of two parts: a head in the shape of cloud, heart, or lingzhi, and a long handle in the shape of a flat S. Ruyi can be made of a variety of valuable materials, such as precious metals, jade, hardwood, semi-precious gems, ivory, coral, and so on. Ancient Chinese craftsmen exquisitely decorated ruyi by relief, openwork, inlaid gems, among other things. Ruyi itself, along with decorating motifs upon it, conveys good wishes, such as longevity, blessing, good fortune, and prosperity.
No matter how valuable the material is and how meticulous the appearance is, ruyi nevertheless has a humble origin: it was born out of a household tool to scratch itches on one's back (Yangyangnao, meaning "scratching itches"). The cloud-shaped head of ruyi simply mimics a human hand with bent fingers and the long handle enables one to reach his/her back. With time passing by, people gradually appreciated ruyi more from its symbolism, decoration, and aesthetics. During late Han and early Jin Dynasty on, literati, nobles, and royal members often held ruyi during conservations and other social occasions, which gives ruyi another name Tanbi (literally, "a stick held during conservation"). In Ming and Qing Dynasty, ruyi finally emerged as a pure symbol of blessing and good fortune, used for ornament and gift.
Ruyi was particularly appreciated by Qing court. It became a tradition that on occasions of important court celebrations, such as enthronement, imperial wedding or birthday, New Years Day, nobles, generals, and government officials presented the most elaborate and valuable ruyi to emperors. Emperors also directly commissioned ruyi at the imperial workshop. Throughout imperial palaces, ruyi were placed on the side of thrones, on the top of desks, and on beds for emperors' daily appreciation. During this period, ruyi symbolized not only blessings, but also power and wealth.
The Palace Museum, originated from Qing imperial collection, possesses about three thousand pieces of ruyi, mostly made during Qing Dynasty. The majority of the collection were presented by Qing emperors' subjects, while some were made by the imperial workshop, under emperors' order.
