Warring States Period, 5th – 3rd Century B.C.
heavily cast in the form of a horned demon with human face, muscular torso and forked tail, shown crouching with elongated arms outstretched and fingers curled back to serve as the hook, the shoulders, back and legs with shaped recesses to receive turquoise inlays, a fragmentary inlay remaining at one shoulder, richly gilded all over, the grimacing face with almond-shaped eyes reserved in silver and wide open mouth revealing silver teeth, the underside with a circular silver button on a short stem.
Length 3 1⁄2 inches (8.9 cm)
Provenance J. J. Lally & Co., New York, 1989
Compare the gilt bronze figural belthook of similar form, illustrated by Rawson and Bunker in the catalogue of the special exhibition organized by the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 212-213, no. 130.
Compare also the gilt bronze figural belthook of related form from the collection of Dr. Paul Singer, donated to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., accession number RLS1997.48.4519.
戰國 銀鎏金人形帶鈎 長 8.9 厘米
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Warring States Period, 5th – 3rd Century B.C.
Length 3 1⁄2 inches (8.9 cm)