Chinese Toggle Depicting Rat

A smooth gray-green mouse tucked up with ears pricked.

This toggle depicting rat is from China. 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. The little animal sits low with a rounded body, a pointed face and one small ear lifted. Shallow incised lines mark the haunch and tail curling alongside. The stone is a soft pale green-gray with a clean polish. It is 2 inches long, 0.75 deep and 1 high.

Small, sleek and quietly alert.