Chinese Toggle Depicting Fish

Plump pale fish curls its tail and wears a maroon cord like a very small leash.

This toggle depicting fish is from China, and dates to the 19th century. It is jade. The dragon is a popular toggle motif symbolizing wisdom, ambition and prosperity, a five-clawed version represented the emperor, and a dragon with a phoenix suggested marriage and was a wedding gift. In a soft sea-green tone, the fish has a body scored with overlapping scales and a tail swept round in a spiral. Russet patches cover the head and shoulder. A dark bead and a twisted maroon cord pass through the mouth. It is 2.5 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 3.5 high.

Smooth, round and faintly smug about it.