Cricket Trap

Crickets were usually captured in the evening in small traps made out of bamboo or ivory rods fitted with sliding doors. This style of container also served as cages in some parts of China. The exceptionally rare iron nets shown here were used to capture insects and also act as a wire cage to hold a cricket while its gourd or pottery cage was being cleaned. The long, pointed handle of the iron net was used to dislodge wet wood, rocks and other debris while hunting crickets.