A LARGE, INLAID AND GILT COPPER ALLOY 'FISH' BELT HOOK, HAN DYNASTY China, 202 BC-220 AD. Finely gilt and cast in high relief as a mythical fish issuing a long-necked horned beast head from its mouth. Its scales, horn, and face are neatly incised and additionally inlaid with thin plaques of turquoise and carnelian glass paste, its tail elegantly curved, overall further accentuated with small glass and hardstone bead inlays. The gilt is of supreme quality, although some areas - especially around the hook - show significant natural wear.

Scientific Analysis Report: An expert report from Antiques Analytics - Institute of Scientific Authenticity Testing, test number AA 22-01048, dated 29 April 2022, written and signed by Dr. R. Neunteufel, analyzing the patina after examination by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and element analysis with attached energy-dispersed X-ray micro element analyzer (EDX), states: “The results of the X-ray microanalysis lead to the following assessment of the patina: Copper is detectable as the main alloying element. It shows a high concentration of tin, the second main alloying element, and a small amount of lead. Based on the submitted metal analysis, a high enrichment of the alloy components tin and lead can be assumed - evidence of a long-lasting natural corrosion process. The findings of the patina analysis (…) are therefore not in the contradiction to the assumed dating of the present object.” A copy of the report accompanies this lot. A metallurgic analysis of the alloy has returned the following results: Copper 88.05%, pewter 7.37%, lead 3.77% and iron 0.79%.

Provenance: From the collection of Ed Smit, Amsterdam, Netherlands. H. Schotte, The Hague, Netherlands, acquired from the above via descent. A Dutch private collection, acquired from the above. Ed Smit (d. 2017) was a noted Dutch collector and dealer of Chinese, Tibetan, and African art. The present owner of this lot has described Smit as his “best friend and mentor for decades”. Ed Smit's important collection of African art was sold at Lempertz in Brussels in 2020, while his Chinese and Tibetan works of art were dispersed among family and friends.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Extensive old wear, some casting flaws, pitting, dents, small losses to metal including at least one with an old fill, possibly some inlays replaced, encrustations and corrosion, light scratches. Most of the inlaid plaques of turquoise and carnelian glass paste show fatigue cracks and the colors have faded over time. The hook is bent altogether into a curved form, probably due to extensive wearing before burial. Superb patina, with malachite encrustations inside the pits and recesses as well as extensively to the back. The ungilt areas and those where the gilt has worn off, again due to extensive wearing before burial, are of a warm copper-brown tone. Note that the encrustations have eaten deeply into the copper alloy over time, leaving distinct scars and pitting wherever removal is attempted.

Weight: 214.5 g
Dimensions: Length 17.7 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related inlaid bronze garment hook in the form of a fish, also dated to the Han dynasty, 17.8 cm long, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 51.137.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's New York, 25 March 2022, lot 729
Price: USD 88,200 or approx. EUR 86,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: A rare large jade and glass-inlaid gilt-bronze belt hook, Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the glass inlays, the relief-casting overall, the gilding, the form of the knob on the backside and the size (14.5 cm)



漢代鎏金銅嵌寳魚形帶鈎
中國，公元前202年至公元220年。鎏金魚，嘴裡吐出一個長頸的角獸頭。細節精美，魚身鑲嵌綠松石和紅玉髓琉璃等，魚尾彎曲；鎏金層質量極好。儘管某些區域（尤其是鉤子周圍）顯示出明顯的磨損。

科學檢測報告：Antiques Analytics - Institute of Scientific Authenticity Testing 的專家報告，測試編號 AA 22-01048，日期為 2022 年 4 月 29 日，由 R. Neunteufel 博士撰寫並簽名，通過掃描電子顯微鏡 (SEM) 和元素分析檢查後分析包漿附有能量分散 X 射線微量元素分析儀 (EDX)，指出：“X 射線微量分析的結果對包漿有以下評估：可檢測到銅作為主要合金元素，高濃度的錫（第二主要合金元素）和少量的鉛。根據提交的金屬分析，可以假設合金成分錫和鉛的含量很高——這是長期自然腐蝕過程的證據。因此，包漿分析結果（……）與假設的當前物體的年代並不矛盾。”此拍品隨附一份報告副本。該合金的冶金分析得出以下結果：銅 88.05%、錫 7.37%、鉛 3.77% 和鐵 0.79%。

來源：荷蘭阿姆斯特丹Ed Smit收藏；荷蘭海牙H. Schotte購於上述收藏；荷蘭私人收藏購於上述收藏。Ed Smit (2017年逝世) 是荷蘭著名的中國、西藏和非洲藝術品收藏家和經銷商。該拍品的現任所有者將 Smit 描述為“幾十年來最好的朋友和導師”。Ed Smit 重要的非洲藝術收藏品於 2020年在布魯塞爾Lempertz 出售，而他的中國和西藏藝術作品則分散在家人和朋友之間。
品相：狀況極佳，大面積磨損，一些鑄造缺陷，點蝕，凹痕，金屬小缺，有填充物，可能更換了一些鑲嵌物，結殼和輕微劃痕。大多數綠松石和紅玉髓琉璃鑲嵌的飾板出現裂紋，顏色隨著時間的推移而褪色。鉤子完全彎曲成彎曲的形式。極好的包漿，凹槽內以及背面都有綠色結殼。未鎏金的區域和鎏金已磨損的區域，同樣由於入土前的大量磨損，呈現出溫暖的銅棕色調。 請注意，結殼已經深深地侵蝕了銅合金，留下了明顯的斑紋。

重量：214.5 克
尺寸：長 17.7 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件相近外型的漢代青銅鑲嵌魚形帶鈎(17.8 厘米長)，收藏於布魯克林博物館，編號51.137。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2022年3月25日，lot 729
價格：USD 88,200（相當於今日EUR 86,000）
描述：漢代銅鎏金嵌玉及玻璃蒼龍教子帶鉤
專家評論：比較鑲嵌物、大面積浮雕、鎏金，以及背面的一顆紐和尺寸 (14.5厘米)。