Petite Traveling Cricket Cage

The practice of keeping crickets as pets began in China as early as the Tang dynasty (618-907). Appreciated for their chirping "songs," crickets were caught at the end of summer and kept in ornate cages throughout the winter, often placed bedside.

This petite cricket cage dates to the early 20th century and is comprised of thin bamboo rods secured to tortoiseshell-style resin at each end. The slender, curved form of this cage indicates it was designed to be portable, strung from a waistband and carried about on the hip. The cage opens by a sliding door on one side and hangs by a copper wire handle, possibly replacement. Displayed on a custom steel mount, this cricket cage lives on as a storied sculptural object.