Miao 2-part silver clothing ornament hook

Chinalai Tribal Antiques, Ltd.

These rare and uniquely Miao early 20th century paired silver hooks from Guizhou, China, were worn on a woman’s back as a counter balance to secure a heavy decorative apron on front. Sometimes the apron straps were sewn directly onto the S-hook, but whether this indicated a lower level of affordability or a missing counterpart is uncertain — probably the former as there seem to be far fewer of the part with the multifaceted bulbous portion in evidence. In this example, the insides of conical parts show traces of the reddish brown dye that probably came from the ornament rubbing against the back of a Miao woman’s traditional jacket. The bulbous part is: 6” l, 7” w, 4-1/2” h; and the S part is: 7” l, 4-3/4” w, 2” h.

$4,500.00

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