Ornate & Ancient Chinese Sky Blue Glass Dragon Belt Hook \"Dai Gou\" Tang Dyn.

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Ornate & Ancient Chinese Sky Blue Glass Dragon Belt Hook \"Dai Gou\" Tang Dyn.:
$675.00

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Ancient Chinese Glass Garment Hook (“Dai Gou” in Chinese)

With

Dragon Head & Seven Dragonfly Eyes

Buddhist & Chinese Translucent Sky Blue Glass

c. China\'sTangDynasty

618-906AD

“A Dragon can be unseenor visible, minute or huge, long or short.

However, always it isgreat.”

—Shuo Wen (c. 100 AD)

Thisancient Chinese, blue glass garment hook is about 5” (127 mm) long and dates toabout the Tang Dynasty (618—906 AD) or perhaps a bit earlier. Look at the wonderful translucent, sky blueglass with a horned Dragon head on one end and seven (7) white and blackdragonfly eyes on the body to imitate the “eyes” on a dragonfly’s wing. Whenheld up to a strong light, the colors are breathtaking! (see photo # 7)

DETAILS & CONDITION

Thisornate glass garment hook is in excellent, museum quality condition for beingover 1,000 years-old, with no chips, breaks, or repairs. The belt hook was made in a mold, with thewhite and black, dragonfly eyes added after the blue glass had cooled. It appears to have been professional cleanedto remove the thick coating of calcium mineral deposits it once had and nowonly retains a thin layer of white mineral deposits that once coated thislovely piece.

Belt and robe hooks(called \"Dai Gou\" inChinese) were widely used in ancient China, especially during the WarringStates period (475BC--221BC) when warlords fought each other for power andland. However, its use declined sharplyafter the Han Dynasty (206 BC—220 AD) due to change in dress code. In later years, these hooks were deemed to beinappropriate and it wasn’t until the re-flourishing of old customs during theTang Dynasty that these lovely garment hooks were once again made fordecorative purposes from glass.

The reunification ofChina under the subsequent Tang Dynasty initiated a period of prosperity, traderelations, and far-reaching influence. Chang\'an, the capital, was one of thelargest and richest cities in the world. Art and literature flourish, reflectinginfluences from the different cultures with which China maintains diplomaticand trade relations. In addition to painting and calligraphy, Tang is noted forits Buddhist sculpture, metalwork, glass, and ceramics—both brightly glazedtomb figures and white-bodied vessels.

Belt and robe hooks werelute shaped, with one end having a pointed end, while the other end is turnedup to form a hook and in this case the head of a Dragon. The little knob on the back side of the hookwould be fastened to the garment like a modern button would be slipped into abutton hole. The fancy Dragon hook end wouldthen be neatly fastened to the other end of the belt, robe, or garment to holdit closed.

This is an especiallyornate garment hook, and I would suggest that it would have been worn by awealthy woman of the upper class or perhaps a wedding gift. The translucent blue glass and wonderful Dragonhead with Seven Dragonfly Eyes as decorations make this garment hook quite rareand highly collectable! This is the first Dai Gou I have seen that ismade of glass—as most were made of bronze during the Han Dynasty 2,000years-ago.

This glass garment hookseems to imitate the bronze garment hooks of the Han Dynasty and the famous Dzibeads from Tibet that are made of stone.But this glass garment hook appears to transcend both Tibet and Chinesecultures as well as adding the influence of Buddhism that was imported fromIndia to China.

REFERENCES:

Chinese History Museum in Beijing, China,contains an outstanding collection of early Chinese glass objects, including asmall, glass aqua cup that was found in a Han Dynasty tomb in Guangxi Province,China.

See “AncientGlass Research Along the Silk Road” Edited by Gan Fuxi (Chinese Academy ofSciences & Fudan University, China), Robert Brill (The Corning Museum ofGlass, USA), & Tian Shouyun (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China). This bookstates that ancient Chinese glass from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty(200-700 AD) contained High Lead Silicate or PBO-SiO2. Although chemical tests have not been run onthis glass garment hook, it is believed that it made from this glasscomposition.

See “ScientificResearch in Early Chinese Glass” 1991

Author: Robert H. Brilland John H. Martin, editors.

Kwan, Simon; Early Chinese Glass; Hong Kong, 2001.ISBN. 9627 101524

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Ornate & Ancient Chinese Sky Blue Glass Dragon Belt Hook \"Dai Gou\" Tang Dyn.:
$675.00