Chinese Toggle Depicting Mythological Creature

A short pale cylinder with spiraling scrolls and a rough, darkened top.

This toggle depicting mythological creature is from China. It is jade. Many toggles carried auspicious symbols drawn from wordplay, so a monkey, whose word can sound like the word for Marquis, suggested high rank, and a carp suggested success in civil service examinations. The upright tube has gently curved sides carved with looping scrolls and small dots across the body. The color is a pale celadon with dark brown flecks, and the top end looks chipped and stained. It is 1.5 inches long and 0.75 in diameter.

A small column with a lot of loops.