Title
Ornamental sword hook
Artists
Unknown Artist
-
Details
- Other Title
- Small belt hook with incised dragon head on hook and taotie mask on body
- Place where the work was made
-
China
- Period
- Han dynasty 206 BCE - 220 CE → China
- Media category
- Metalwork
- Materials used
- bronze
- Dimensions
- 4.3 x 2.0 x 1.5 cm
- Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Gift of Josef and Regina Neumann 1988
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 129.1988.43
- Copyright
- Share
-
-
About
A dragon's head has been cast as the decorative tip of this ornamental hook. At the opposite end is a taotie mask, cast on top of a large buckle. Archaeological finds suggest this type of hook with its short body and broad end was used to bear swords and was worn vertically, rather than in the horizontal position used to secure a waist belt.
Asian Art Department, AGNSW, January 2012
-
Places
Where the work was made
China
-
Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Dragon (2012), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 18 Jan 2012–06 May 2012