Lot 9806. Property from the Mineo Hata Collection. A large gold and silver inlaid-bronze garment hook, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period; 18.3 cm, Japanese wood box. Lot Sold 409,600 HKD (Estimate 50,000 - 100,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2026
 

Exhibited: Chugoku Sengoku jidai no bijutsu [Chinese Art of the Warring States Period], Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Osaka, 1991, cat. no. 170.

Note: Remarkable for its sumptuous and intricate inlays of gold and silver, this substantial garment hook (daigou) is a superb paradigm showing the exemplary workmanship and technological sophistication of bronze workshops during the Warring States period. Given its elaborate character, such ostentatious adornments transcended mere functional dress accessories, they were likely presented to individuals of exceptionally high social status in recognition of outstanding achievements, thereby acquiring a ceremonial significance, see Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, p. 82.

The present hook is elegantly cast with a gracefully curved shaft terminating in a classic dragon head. The surface is magnificently ornamented with a dynamic composition of sweeping volutes and stylised mythical beasts, while the reverse is thoughtfully embellished with charming zoomorphic figures, including a distinct fish, demonstrating the artisan's meticulous attention to detail even on the less visible surfaces. The deliberate selection of such intricate, flowing designs can be seen as the last major innovation and secularisation of China's archaic bronze tradition. Guided essentially by secular concerns, this shift reflects the increasing secularism bolstered by a rising interest in philosophy over religion during the late Eastern Zhou dynasty, which ultimately led to the disappearance of many traditional ritual vessel shapes.

For comparable examples, see a related gold, silver and turquoise-inlaid bronze garment hook of larger proportions, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2023; and another intricately inlaid hook in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (accession no. F1930.45). Compare also a related example in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 1985.214.22). The sophisticated style and execution of the present lot also closely relate to the celebrated group of lavishly inlaid bronzes excavated from the Warring States royal tombs at Jincun, Luoyang, Henan province.

Sotheby's. Zoomorphia: Animal Forms in Ancient China | Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 5 May 2026