Description
Dress accessory, toggle in the shape of a woven basket, wood, China, c. 1700-1940.
Toggles functioned as weights to counterbalance dress accessories such as tobacco pouches.
Significance statement
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.
History notes
These toggles were collected in Peking by Hedda and Alastair Morrison. Most of them were purchased from markets outside Chongwenmen Gate, and in Liulichang, the antiques street.
Credit line
Gift of Mr Alastair Morrison, 1992
Registration number
92/570
