Chinese Toggle Depicting Reclining Animal

Crusty, long-bodied creature sprawls in earthy browns like it was just dug up.

This toggle depicting reclining animal is from China, and dates to the 19th century. It is jade. Jade was generally the most preferred and valued material for toggles, a precious stone integral to Chinese culture since the Neolithic Period and often called the stone of heaven. Raised and rounded at the head, this elongated reclining animal ends in a flattened tail. The surface is mottled in ochre, cream and dark brown, with a crusty texture across the back. A drilled hole passes through the underside near one end. It is 0.5 inches wide, 2.75 deep and 0.5 high.

Weathered, lumpy, and totally unbothered by either.