Chinese Toggle Depicting Entwined Mushrooms

Fungus caps and a twisting stem spiral into each other with dramatic redness.

This toggle depicting entwined mushrooms is from China, and dates to the 19th century. It is jade. Traditional Chinese clothing had no pockets, so people of all social classes, from rickshaw drivers to court scholars, used toggles as counterweights to help secure small bags hanging from their sashes. Looping stems join rounded caps with finely ridged undersides in this tangled, openwork composition. The color is cream, with red and rust staining near the curls and edges. The cut is deep in places and the outline is soft and organic. It is 2.5 inches deep and 1.5 high.

A knot that has clearly decided it is a garden.