Catalogue entry no. 472 by Max Loehr:
472 Composite Belt Hook
The body of this exquisitely carved piece consists of seven sections, held together by an iron core the penetrates these sections. Variegated pale green, bluish, and dark russet jade. Traces of iron rust at some of the joints. The top section, forming the hook proper, ends in a slender dragon head, which is boldly modeled and executed with great precision. The next section is a narrow, smooth band with short, upcurved, sharp-edged lateral extensions. The following three sections are decorated with symmetrically laid-out hook designs and fine, incised circles; these sections consist of two longer pieces and a narrow band with smooth lateral extensions between them. Another narrow, plain band follows, which again has the lateral extensions. The last section represents a broad feline head with large eyes, which is monumental in design and flawlessly executed. The juxtaposition of this head and the flanged band above it seems rather disturbing, as if an intermediate section—in tune with the spacing of the preceding parts—were missing. An oval button, placed transversally, forms part of the narrow section in the middle; its surface is decorated with an incised whorl patter surrounding a tiny, cross-hatched center field. Late Eastern Chou.
