The finger citron is a bright yellow lemon-like fruit with a thick rind and long finger-like tendrils. Because it resembles the familiar hand position of the Buddha, the citron has the auspicious Chinese name of foshou (佛手) which literally means 'Buddha's Hand'. The name 'foshou' sounds very similar to the words fu (福 Happiness) and shou (寿 Longevity) and therefore the finger citron is a symbol of 'Happiness and longevity'. But it has another symbolic meaning as well namely 'Earning money' because the finger citron also resembles a 'grabbing' hand. The toggle on the photos is made of a very pale celadon material which is well carved and dates from the Qing period (1644 - 1912). It was added to the Lowlands-collection in 2013 from San Rafael, California and previously formed part of the Rudolph Voll collection. Length 6.4 cm. Width 2.7 cm. Depth 0.6 cm. Weight 27.3 grams. Also see Quick Find 4167.