Chinese Toggle with Yin Yang Motif

Honey-colored disc covered in scrolls glows with russet freckles.

This toggle with yin yang motif 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. Warm yellow with orange and rust tinges spreading from the edges, this rounded-square plaque is neatly cut. The face is finely incised with radiating lines, small scrolls and a central roundel. The outline is gently scalloped and the edges are smoothed. It is 0.25 inches wide, 2 deep and 2 high.

Busy surface, calm color, and not an inch left undecorated.