The Marquis of Sui's pearl or the (, ) was a famous gemstone in a Warring States period (475-221 BCE) folktale about a ruler of Sui state who was given an amazing luminous pearl by a grateful snake whose life he had saved. In the history of folkloristics, this legend is the earliest known example of the "Grateful Animals" motif. The Marquis of Sui's pearl, which is frequently paired with another famous regalia, the Heshibi, became a literary Chinese metaphor for underestimating a valuable person or thing.
Terminology
Many Chinese classics refer to the Marquis of Sui's pearl in context with other legendary gems, jades, and swords associated with the ceremonial regalia of ancient Chinese states.
(, "the Marquis of Sui's pearl") has a literary synonym () with the Classical Chinese grammatical possessive affix (). (, lit. "follow; pursue; comply with; adapt to") is the name of a small ancient state during the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties, located in present-day Suizhou, Hubei—not to be confused with the Sui dynasty (, 581–618 CE). Sui was originally one of the Ji states (11th-7th centuries BCE) and became a vassal state of Chu. The rulers of Sui held the Chinese feudal title (), the second of five Zhou dynasty peerage ranks. This is usually translated as English "Marquis" or "Marquess", but more generally means an "honorific term applied in pre-imperial times to all rulers of states, regardless of actual rank". Alternate translations of include "Duke Sui" and "Lord Sui". (, "pearl; gem; bead; orb") is used in many Chinese names for shining pearls/gems, such as (, "night-luminous pearl"), (, "night-shining pearl"), and (, "luminous-moon pearl"), which is exemplified by Marquis of Sui's pearl.
("Marquis of Sui's pearl") frequently occurs in context with one of the most famous jades of Chinese antiquity, () or (, both meaning "Clan He's jade-disk"). Bian He was a man from the late Warring States Period [8th century BCE] who came upon a stone containing a rare piece of jade. However, when he presented it to King Li of Chu, it was judged to be a fake, and he was punished by having his left foot cut off. Not deterred, Bian He presented the stone again when King Wu took the throne. It was again judged to be a fake, and Bian He suffered the loss of his right foot. He was so distraught that he withdrew to the foot of a mountain, clutching his jade, and cried until he wept blood. This so moved King Wu that he ordered the stone reexamined. When cut and polished it was shown to be a rare treasure. When Bian He is read as a typical Chinese name, Biàn (, lit. "law; rule; impetuous; impatient") is the surname and (, "harmonious; agreeable; comfortable") is the given name. However, is also an uncommon surname and early texts refer to Bian He as both (, "(of) Bian clan") and (, "(of) He clan"), with the word (, "clan; family; [a suffix after surnames]"). Bì (, "carved jade-disk with a round hole in center") is an ancient Chinese artifact, which first became important grave goods in the Liangzhu culture (3400–2250 BCE). were "often used ceremonially as symbolic of a covenant or guarantee, as between persons, states, heaven and a dynastic house, etc.".
or () is the name of a legendary 5th century BCE sword. The master bladesmith Ou Yezi made three iron swords for King Goujian (r. 496–465 BCE) of Yue, named Lóngyuān (, Dragon Gulf), Tài'ē (, Great Riverbank), and Gōngbù (, Artisanal Display). Master Ou described the patterning on Tai'e to the king, "it is majestic and vigorous, like the waves of a flowing river".
Mythology
Chinese mythology and folklore associate snakes with dragons. Marquis of Sui's snake with a glowing pearl in its mouth is echoed in later Chinese depictions of dragons with a flaming pearl or gem under their chin or in their claws. According to the German anthropologist Wolfram Eberhard, the dragon symbolizes clouds and rainstorms, and when it plays with a ball or pearl, this signifies the swallowing of the moon by the clouds or thunder in the clouds. The moon frequently appears as a pearl, and thus the dragon with the pearl is equal to the clouds with the moon. The pearl-moon relationship is expressed in the ancient belief that at full moon pearls are solid balls and at new moon they are hollow. Li Shizhen's 1578 pharmacopeia describes a Divine Dragon holding in its mouth (, "thunder pearls/beads") that would "light the entire house at night".