Chinese Embroidered Civil Rank Badge Set with Goldwork, Late Qing Dynasty
Item Details
A paired set of embroidered Chinese rank badges of 4th civil rank, each displaying an embroidered wild goose appliqué at the center surrounded by ruyi clouds and the eight Buddhist symbols of the Ashtamangala, with the bird facing a red sun disk at the upper left. These rank badges, also called ‘Mandarin Squares’, were made to be worn on the front and back of a man’s robe, and one of the panels is split down the center for placement on the front opening. Each badge panel is embroidered on silk with colored silk thread and goldwork of couched gilt and silver metal-wrapped threads. At the center of each is a wild goose, indicative of the 4th rank of Chinese civil service, which consisted of directors and assistant directors of the Imperial household and courts, members of the censorate, foreign relations, circuit attendants, instructors in the Grand Secretariat and Hanlin Institute, and other administrative prefects. Each panel is framed with hanging wire for display.
| Type | Rank Badge, “Mandarin Square” |
| Maker | Unknown, Chinese |
| Technique | Embroidery, Appliqué, Couching, Goldwork |
| Manufacturing Process | Handmade |
| Materials | Silk, Silver Foil and Gold-Wrapped Threads |
| Period | Antique, Late 19th Century |
| Date | Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911), circa 1880 |
| Origin | China |
| Number of Items | 2 |
Condition
- slight discoloration throughout; surface accretion; some pulled threads and loose stitches throughout; some wrinkles to textiles; abrasions and edge wear to frames.
Dimensions
- measurement of frame; visible image measures 11.0" W x 10.5" H.
Item #
ITMG419560
