A rare gilt-bronze 'dragon' belt hook, Eastern Zhou dynasty | 東周　銅鎏金蟠螭紋帶鉤

Belt hooks of this type, cast in pure gold or a high-gold alloy and decorated with chilong, represent the distinctive style of the Qin and Jin regions during the Spring and Autumn to Warring States period. 

Compare a closely related gold ornament adorned with a chilong design, excavated in 1979 from the ruins of Yongcheng, the ancient capital of the State of Qin, displays an almost identical rendering of the dragon; illustrated in Complete Collection of Chinese Gold, Silver and Enamel Ware, vol. 1, Shijiazhuang, 2004, no. 128. Compare also a larger example sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 18 December 2004, lot 749.

此類鍍金之螭龍紋帶鉤，為典型春秋戰國時期秦晉地區之風格。可比較1979年秦國故都雍城遺址出土一件金龍紋飾件，其龍紋風格與本件如出一轍，見《中國金銀玻璃琺瑯器全集》，卷1，石家莊，2004年，編號128。香港蘇富比售出一件較大者亦資參考，2004年12月18日，編號749。