如意流变考

Tracing the History of ’Ruyi’ Scepter

如意始于爪杖,爪杖如意在中国的历史至少可上溯至战国时期。魏晋南北朝时期,帝王、名士、佛教僧侣对如意的发展起到了重要的推动作用;隋唐时期,爪杖和如意开始分离,至宋代完成。明代中后期,如意成为文人的文房雅玩,并影响到清代宫廷,至乾隆朝发展到顶峰,后经历了嘉庆、道光朝的短暂低谷,在慈禧太后掌权时期昙花一现,然后迅速衰落。

‘Ruyi',a kind of scepter deriving from an item like a backscratcher named'Zhuazhang'in the shape of a long-handled and a claw-head with fingers closed bent together,came out first in China and India of ancient times.The Chinese'Ruyi in shape of Zhuazhang'is dated back to as early as the Warring States period.Later,it was getting expanded in uses and popularized among emperors,scholar-offcials and Buddhist monks through the Wei,Jin,Southern and Northern Dynasties,all of whom played an important role in promoting'Ruyi'forward.With the Sui-Tang times entering,Ruyi'was gradually parted from'Zhuazhang'in shape and function to form its own style by the Song Dynasty.It was later adored by scholars as a piece of graceful artwork(Ba Wan in Chinese pinyin)in the middle and late Ming dynasty,finally attained the highest after entering the royal court of the Qing dynasty.But,after that,Ruy'went low from the Jiaqing-Daoguang(嘉庆-道光)period in spite of a moment of bloom in Empress Dowager Cixi's(慈禧)times once more to decline rapidly and fade out of the sight of the mainstream anyway.