Chinese belt toggles called 'zhuizi' are small carved ornaments used as counterweights on the cords of pipe bags and other small bags which were usually hung on men's belts.

Chinese clothes were not well provided with pockets, so bags which could be suspended from a belt were useful articles of attire. In order to fulfil its primary purpose of securing things to a belt, a toggle must have what the Chinese called a 'string eye', which could pass a string or cord.

Toggle wearing disappeared from China in the 1940s, when western style clothing replaced traditional clothing.

The lotus, a sacred flower, was traditionally associated with purity, honesty and perfection because it grows out of the mud and yet, is not defiled.
The Chinese words for lotus, 'ho lien', are (respectively) pronounced the same way as the words for 'harmony' and 'successively'.
Carvings of the lotus seed pod were considered frank and obvious wishes for fertility and the arrival of children. An emphasis on the seeds in a toggle's design, calls attention to its symbolism of numerous and successive children.
The several animals that are enjoying their retreat on the lotus create a busy sight.
A pair of mandarin ducks is a frequent symbol of marriage and lovers. The choice of these birds as a marriage symbol is based on a traditional belief that they mate for life and that if one should die, the other will gradually pine away.
Since ancient times, frogs and toads (often indistinguished by the Chinese) have been revered by as mysterious creatures due to their strange life cycle, ability to live in two elements and powers of fertility.
It was used for medicinal purposes and is believed to have spawned from heavenly dew and is therefore called, "heavenly chicken."
There exists a creature in Chinese folklore called the "money toad", which is considered to be the symbol of money-making and good fortune.
To the Chinese, the bee represents industriousness, thriftiness and is of a gentle disposition. The rat symbolises similar qualities, including industry, cleverness and generally, as a bringer of material prosperity. But unlike the bee, the rat is also associated sometimes with being calculating and overambitious.

(references)
Cammann, Schuyler, Substance and Symbol in Chinese Toggles, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1962, London, pp.105, 109-111, 130.
Williams, C.A.S., Outlines of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives, Dover Publications, 1976, New York, pp.37, 123, 255-258, 339, 401-403.

This toggle is part of a group that was collected in Peking by Hedda and Alastair Morrison between 1940 and 1942. Most of them were purchased from markets outside Chongwenmen Gate, and in Liulichang, a street known for its antique shops.

Dress accessory, toggle, lotus, toad or frog, bee, water rat, ducks, wood, China, c. 1700-1940

A large, natural wood burl three-dimensionally carved into the form of a large, domed lotus pod with articulated seeds with surrounding curled leaves, buds and another small pod. A variety of animals are incorporated into the design. These include a small toad or frog nestling on the upper leaf, a bee sitting below the bud, a water rat across the edge and face of the large pod, a pair of small ducks sitting on one of the side leaves and a small snail crawling along one of the stems. The upper loops of the stems form the alternative attachments.

Maker: unknown; China; 1700 - 1940

Owner: Morrison, Hedda

Owner: Morrison, Alastair

92/576

1700 - 1940

35 mm

70 mm

53 mm