Japanese Edo (mid-19thC) Buddhist root wood ‘lingzhi’ ruyi (ceremonial sceptre) with a traditional long handle and a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi mushroom. It has been worked into a root, its shape reminiscent of the lingzhi (or reishi), a fungus or dark mushroom that grows on trees in East Asia. 30cm long x 8cm wide, weight 250g (with box). Old signed box. The nyoi/ruyi is a sacred object used by monks when chanting sutras and preaching, and symbolizes the transmission of Buddhist teachings. They are constructed from diverse materials, for example the Palace Museum in Beijing houses some 3,000 ruyi variously made of gold, silver, iron, bamboo, wood, ivory, coral, rhinoceros horn, lacquer, crystal, jade and precious gems. The Lingzhi fungus has been used in traditional Japanese (and Chinese) medicine for centuries to promote health and longevity. It''s also known as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ and is believed to treat the heart, reduce stress and inflammation, an...