Hu (ritual baton)

A hu (

The use of the hu originated in ancient

The hu was originally used at court for the taking of notes and was usually made of bamboo. Officials could record speaking notes on the tablet ahead of the audience, and record the emperor's instructions during the audience. Likewise, the emperor could use one for notes during ceremonies.^{[citation needed]}

The hu eventually became a ritual implement; it also became customary for officials to shield their mouths with their hu when speaking to the emperor.^{[citation needed]}

A hu can be made of different material according to the holder's rank: sovereigns used jade (similar to, but not the same as, the ceremonial jade sceptre, gui (圭)), nobles used ivory, and court officials used bamboo.

A hu is often seen in portraits of Chinese mandarins, but is now mostly used by Daoist priests (daoshi). The Buddhist deity King Yama, judge of the underworld, is often depicted bearing a hu.

Use in China

During the Tang dynasty, court etiquette required officials to wear the hu in their belts when riding horses.^[2] The chancellor was provided with a hu rack, which was carried into the palace. After an audience, the hu could be left on the rack. Lesser officials had hu bags, which were held by their attendants.^[3] During the early Tang dynasty, Mandarins of the fifth rank or above used ivory hu, while those below used wooden ones. The rules were further elaborated later to require that mandarins of the third rank or above used hu which were curved at the front and straight at the back, while those of the fifth rank or above used hu which were curved at the front and angled at the back. The hu used by lower rank mandarins were made of bamboo and were angled at the top and square at the bottom. In the Ming dynasty, Mandarins of the fourth rank or above used ivory hu, while those of the fifth rank or below used wooden ones.^[4]

The hu fell out of use in the Imperial Court system during the Qing dynasty. The greater ceremonial deference demanded by Qing emperors meant that officials had to greet the emperor by kowtowing, making it impractical to carry the hu to an audience.

In contemporary times, the hu is mostly used by as part of the traditional outfit of daoshi during formal and ceremonial functions such as the performing of rites.

Use in Japan

The standard reading in Japanese for the character used to write shaku is kotsu, but as this is also one of the readings for the character hone (骨, "bone"), it is avoided and considered bad luck.^[5] The character's unusual pronunciation seems to derive from the fact the baton is approximately one shaku (an old unit of measurement equivalent to 30.3 cm (11.9 in)) in length.^[5]

A shaku or teita (手板) is a baton or

• Gohei
• Gunbai
• Ōnusa
• Ruyi (scepter)
• Saihai

References