Lot 304. A jade bird- form belt hook, Late Warring States/Early Western Han dynasty; 1 3/8in. Estimate US$ 3,000 - 5,000 (€ 2,500 - 4,200). © Bonhams 2001-2020

Raised on a large circular stud for attachment, elegantly carved with long tail feathers set off by a short neck and slender head turned back to form the hook, the stone a pale greenish-yellow with white alterations from burial.

Note: See a closely related bird-form belt hook published by J.J. Lally & Co., New York, June 1 to 25, 1994, catalog 41. Bronze examples of this type are illustrated in Bernhard Karlgren, Chinese Agraffes in Two Swedish Collections (Stockholm, BMFEA, 1966), no. 38, pl. 75. See also Sotheby's New York, September 10, 2019, lot 238.

Bonhams. Featuring the RenLu Collection, 21 Sep 2020, 10:00 EDT, NewYork