The belt hook usually consists of a hook, a main body and a button on the back connected to the main body by a neck. The button was used to fix the hook onto leather or cloth belts. In the Warring States period the button tended to be smaller and less consicuous, whereas in the Han dynasty the button was much larger and some, such as this example, even bigger than the main body.

       This belt hook is made of gold and rendered in the shape of a mythical creature, often identified as a yulong, a fish-dragon or kraken. Both eyes once had turquoise inlay but only the linlay of one eye survives.