Made of every type of material, and often richly decorated, belt hooks are an important part of the history of decorative art in China.

Although objects resembling belt hooks have been excavated from Neolithic sites near Hangzhou in Zhejiang province belonging to the Liangzhu Culture (3200-2000BC), the classical belt hook really dates from the mid Spring and Autumn period (772-481BC). An item of northern nomadic culture transmitted into the Central Plains of China, the early belt hooks were utilitarian, simple in shape and generally measured 1 ½ to 2 inches in length. Used to secure belts of leather or woven silk, they became ubiquitous during the Warring States period (481-221BC), developing into ornate and exaggerated examples of the jeweler’s art. Simple belt-hooks can be found even in common burials of the period.

In an age when kings and princes of neighboring states vied with each other in ostentation and luxury, the belt hook became a symbol of wealth and status. Made of every material imaginable, from gold, silver, bronze and iron to crystal, agate, and jade, they sometimes grew to incredible size, one sample found in the tomb of Shao Gu of the Chu state measuring over 18 inches in length. A passage in the Huainanzi (a Han dynasty philosophical text authored by King Liu An of Huainan - an area south of the Huai river) states: Those seated in court are seen wearing belt hooks of every kind, which perform the same function as the huan (jade ring – ie. as ornament and status symbol).

Shaped with a hook at one end, and a button on the underside for fixing to the end of the belt, belt-hooks were cast in simple one-piece ceramic molds, or complex, composite molds. The most complicated pieces were produced by the lost wax process. Often, these were inlaid with gold, silver, turquoise, jade, lapis lazuli, glass, or a combination thereof. Bronze hooks could also be gilded or silvered, and the richest pieces were in white jade, carved and pierced with writhing, interlocking dragons, or solid gold with openwork ornamentation.

During excavation, belt-hooks are most commonly found about the waist area of the body, although occasionally, they are found at the chest, suggesting that hooks were also used to fasten clothing, or lying with the equally rich sword fittings. Examples of their use are illustrated in Warring States bronze figurines, or on some of the terracotta soldiers found in the tomb of the first emperor of Qin (221-206BC). They are seen to be worn with the hook on the wearer’s left.

As belt-hooks became less functional, they were also adapted to be worn hanging vertically from the belt, fixed to a hole by the back button. The hook was then used to suspend seals, knives, or other decorative items. These "vertical" belt-hooks are usually shorter, with a larger back button.

Belt hooks from the Spring and Autumn period through to the Han dynasty (206BC–220AD) have been broadly categorised into seven groups:

1/ Qin type: a simple belt-hook in elongated teardrop shape with longitudinal facets. (The Qin was a long musical instrument with a faceted surface)

2/ Plank type: a rectangular belt-hook.

3/ Club type: a belt-hook with a cylindrical body flattened on the underside.

4/ Bamboo type: long slim body with one or two divisions.

5/ Pi-pa (lute) shaped: shorter body with bulbous end, usually for vertical suspension.

6/ Animal type: in the shape of a tiger, dragon, cicada, bird, deer, etc., with the head or tail forming the hook.

7/ Monster mask: mask forming the body, with an elongated stem leading to the hook.

There were also atypical hooks, especially from minority peoples such as the Ba of Sichuan or the Xiongnu of Inner Mongolia. These were often graphically illustrative, showing tigers, riders, musicians etc. in relief.

After the Jin dynasty (265-419AD), belt hooks pretty much disappeared with the invention and popularisation of the belt buckle. However, there is a revival in the Ming (1368-1644AD) and Qing (1644-1912AD) periods with the increased interest in antiquarianism. White jade hooks with intertwining dragons of archaic form were especially popular, and were given by the Emperor to loyal subjects as a mark of favour. Hooks of Jadeite appear during the late Qing dynasty, while materials such as ivory, horn, crystal, and agate were also pressed into service. Glazed ceramic hooks can also be found, probably made as burial items.

With their wide range of shapes, periods, and decorative motifs, belt hooks form a fascinating part of the lexicon of Chinese decorative art.