Belt Hook
Place of Origin
Culture/Period
Date From
-1100
Date To
-220
Materials
Height (cm)
4.1
Length (cm)
18
Accession Number
HKU.B.1956.0142
Description
The bronze belt hook is long, thin and round ended with raised arc. There is also a button inlayed at the bottom of the hook and the upward curled head respectively so the two ends of the belt could be fixed. The overall shape is like a crawling snake, with the head and tail form the hook. Snake is the sixth of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals . As number six is considered to be lucky and can bring good fortune and snake is regarded as a symbol of the power of nature . Therefore, in the ancient time people would like to have their daily necessities with animal patterns.
Besides, the hook is inlayed with gold, silver and turquoise which are the supplement of gold and jade hook. It has shown the social status and wealth of the owner which could only consider as a middle class.
The belt hook is used for fastening the user’s clothes along the waist and it became commonly used because of the increased popularity of horse riding from the China late Eastern Zhou Dynasty .
Besides, the hook is inlayed with gold, silver and turquoise which are the supplement of gold and jade hook. It has shown the social status and wealth of the owner which could only consider as a middle class.
The belt hook is used for fastening the user’s clothes along the waist and it became commonly used because of the increased popularity of horse riding from the China late Eastern Zhou Dynasty .
Citation
“Belt Hook,” 3D Objects at UMAG, accessed May 10, 2024, https://cchu9080.lib.hku.hk/items/show/64.