Jade + Toggles

The Taotie is an motif sometimes translated as a 'gluttonous ogre mask' dating back to Chinese ritual bronze objects from the Shang (1600 - 1046 BCE) and Zhou (1046 - 256 BCE) dynasties. The design has been described as having zoomorphic characteristics, a pair of raised eyes and no lower jaw. No one truly understands the meaning or purpose of the motif but scholars hypothesize it is connected to religious or ceremonial contexts based on the bronze objects they adorn. Their more recent production represents the continuity of Chinese culture through the repetition of revered classical forms.