A white jade belt buckle


Qing dynastyOf irregular oval contour and thin section, carved as a monkey pulling at the bridle of a seated horse with a wasp biting its front left leg, the reverse undercut with an animal head hook facing a circular button, the pale greenish-white matrix showing some cloudy white inclusions and polished to a bright luster.3 5/8in (9.5cm) long
|The monkey on top of a horse in combination with a wasp is a visual rebus for the wish 'May you soon be appointed to a high office' (ma shang feng hou), a fitting buckle for an aspiring official: see Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art (Hong Kong, 2006), 5.13.1, p. 114.