Very pale celadon, almost white, drum which must have been used as a bead or as a toggle. It is drilled through from top to bottom. The carving is very detailed. In China, drums and cymbals were used to chase away evil spirits and ghosts. A drum is therefore seen as a protective device. The item dates from the Qing period (1644 - 1912) and was acquired from the China Arts and Crafts store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, in 1987. In the early part of the 1990’s the Chinese Arts and Crafts stores would offer hundreds of small old jades for sale which were piled up on flat trays. All of them had the well known red lacquer seal which showed that they were antiques that had been cleared for export from China. It is hard to describe the pleasure it gave to dig through the heaps trying to find the nicest pieces. Of course we would never be alone. Sometimes there would be a scramble with local collectors who were also looking for hidden treasures. Length 2.7 cm. Diameter 1.9 cm. Weight 18.7 grams.