Garment Hook

This small garment hook, no bigger than your palm, offered an elegant way to fasten a belt or robe centuries ago. A jade dragon, carved with a bull's head, serpentine body, and fish-like tail, curls within its bronze setting. Look closely at the dragon's finely incised curls, which are echoed in the intricate gold and silver patterns adorning the bronze mount. Thin strands of these precious metals were pressed into grooves, then polished to a high luster, creating a remarkable interplay of descriptive and abstract designs. Interestingly, the jade dragon itself is about three hundred years older than the bronze hook it's set into. This exquisite "recycling" speaks to the enduring value and reverence for ancient jades, which were often custom-designed into new contexts by those who inherited or discovered them.