19th century stained boxwood Japanese nyoi. This nyoi is a kind of scepter that would have been a gift to a monk. The carving is in the form of a lotus seed pod. The seeds themselves are carved from the parent wood and not added. The lotus is, for the Buddhist, a symbol of puirity or potential enlightenment that can grow from the gross to the pure.
size: 2" X 13-3/8" X 2-3/8"