Chinese Toggle Depicting Grasshopper

Slim pale spike with a ragged crown and a thin line of rust down one side.

This toggle depicting grasshopper 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. Grey-green and narrow, the upright piece tapers gently and ends in a notched, uneven top. A faint reddish stain runs along one edge. The lower end carries small incised ridges. The polish is smooth and quiet throughout. It is 0.6 inches deep and 2.6 high.

A slender shape that never raises its voice.