Greenish-white Jade Belt with Openwork Cloud and Dragon Motif - Detail 2

In the Ming Dynasty, the use of belts was strictly regulated. A jade belt was worn with the ceremonial robes of the emperor and empress and the court dress of officials of the first rank. Anyone in attendance at important ceremonies was expected to wear the traditional court dress and a jade belt.

Each belt is made up of leather strips called "Ting" (鞓) and embellished ornaments called "Kua" (銙). The number of jade pieces varies based on the specific belt. 13 belts were unearthed from the tomb of Prince Zhuang, but all the leather Ting have decayed, leaving only the gold or jade Kua.

This greenish-white jade belt is made up of 18 links of pure jade and depicts a pattern of dragons and clouds. This belt is of a superior grade to and more complete than similar jade belts found in the past. All jade belts were carved from Hetian jade found in Xinjiang. The front of each decorative Kua is hollow-carved or embossed with a three-clawed dragon pattern, wrapped in a plant-like cloud pattern. The decorative piece would have been mounted on a gold-plated copper base, with a copper latch and iron wire.