Chinese Toggle Depicting a Cicada

A pale cicada seen from above with delicate lines tracing its wings.

This toggle depicting a cicada is from China, and dates to the 20th century. It is jade. Toggles originally worn for practical use later became valued gifts and artworks, and the article notes that the netsuke of Japan, a similar counterweight for kimono sashes, originated with Chinese toggles. The oval body has two bulging eyes and a rounded head, and fine incised curves mark the folded wings. The stone is a soft yellow-green with a few faint creamy patches. Edges are rounded and the surface is smooth. It is 1.25 inches wide, 1.75 deep and 0.75 high.

Neat, tidy and quietly detailed.