Ancient fashion "belts" and waist accessories!

Belt hooks, also known as "shibi" or "xibi," were tools used by ancient people to fasten belts. They consisted of a hook head, hook body, and hook button. The origin of belt hooks can be traced back to the mid-Neolithic period, with all belt hooks from the Liangzhu culture period being made of jade. Belt hooks were made from various materials, such as gold, silver, copper, iron, jade, and stone. Some were gilded or inlaid with gold and silver, while others were adorned with various gemstones. Han dynasty jade belt hooks were both practical and ornamental, becoming a symbol of the user's identity and status. The Huaxia people of the Central Plains, while continuing to use the S-shaped belt hooks of the Hu people, began to attach jade pendants, pearls, and various gold and silver ornaments to the belt hooks, symbolizing the identity and status of different groups of people. Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Gouyi, as well as King Liu Fei of Jiangdu and Chunyu Ying'er, used belt hooks as tokens of their love, symbolizing "eternal remembrance." Rabbit-shaped gold belt hooks embodied the ancient belief in "seeking children." Rabbits represented "yin" and were believed to become pregnant by gazing at the moon.