Pendant with double happiness

A light-green translucent hetian jade has been fashioned into a rectangular plaque with lobed corners. Most of the ground was removed to leave a raised border and the central character: double happiness. On the underside, a rectangular loop goes vertically through the full length.

By the Qing period, even common people wore jade ornaments for good luck. Usually, the jade was worn on a necklace or hanging from a belt. Most Qing belts were made of cotton or another textile. Old-fashioned belt sets had numerous variations, particularly in the ways to attach buckles. On the underside, an ornamental buckle might have an indent, a hole, a stud, or two studs allowing flexible use with belts, chains, or cords. The ornament shown here, with its auspicious motif, was designed to be used as either a necklace or a waist pendant.