Mother-of-Pearl Rabbit Toggle

This petite mother-of-pearl carving is a delightful example of the button-like toggles worn by men and women throughout the Qing dynasty. Because traditional Chinese clothing didn't have pockets, one's belongings were carried around in a pouch secured to their belt. Similar to Japanese netsuke, small charms such as this served as counterweights and occasionally were elaborately carved as fashionable accessories.

Shimmering with silvery, iridescent color, this contemporary interpretation is carved in relief from a single piece of mother-of-pearl and depicts a rabbit crouching in a bed of cabbages. The fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is a symbol of luck, cleverness, and personal advancement. A mother-of-pearl pin runs through the center of the toggle, tied with cord to demonstrate its use.