清 黃花梨靈芝如意 Qing Dynasty period. Naturalistically carved in the form of a gnarled branch with the buddha's hands forming the head and crevices and leaves in relief along the shaft, the reverse inscribed and dated to Qianlong reign and signed Huang Zhao. Height: 5 in (12.7 cm) 如意最初為用以搔抓脊背的三尺爪杖，因可如人意，故得此名。清朝時，如意為宮廷和貴族富豪所青睞，多用以送禮、賀壽、慶祝等喜慶場合，发展成為一種獨特的如意文化。本器用極為細密的黃花梨，紋路緊致而油性足，因歲月加持，形成了淡赭色溫婉的皮殼，色澤沈斂紅潤，紋理美觀，包漿厚重。此如意苗條多姿，形熊自然，時而枝瘤結聚，時而溫婉柔潤，時而挺拔有勁。首呈如意雲頭形制，柄身略有左右彎折，靈芝枝幹粗壯、舒展，柄上以高浮雕雕刻蔓藤草葉，草葉靈芝相互攀附，盤曲纏繞，交接扭轉，靈動有趣。整器造型設計獨特，線條優美柔和，極富美感，寓意美好，“長壽福祿、吉祥如意”，象征祥瑞。
