Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

Does any one know what rank this badge represented. Is it from the 19th century (as I think it is), or is it earlier.

Many thanks and best wishes,

Chris

It's probably a 6th rank egret although I haven't seen an egret with such a large area of tail feathers. Usually the tail feathers form a small wedge instead of being so long. The item would date no earlier than 1850 because of the existance bottom straight striped area. It's probably dates after 1860-1870 because of the bright blue alkaline dyes (at least it appears on my computer monitor to be alkaline). There's 2 tassles attached to the piece, so it may have been a part of a purse. Hope this helps.

The Book of Rites details ranks.

Here are a number of them. Read in 5 columns Grade, Colour, Button, Civil, Military

1. Red, Plain Coral, White Crane Chi'lin.

2. Red, Engraved Coral, Golden Pheasant, Leopard

3. Blue, Sapphire, Peacock, Panther.

4. Blue, Lapis Lazuli, Wild Goose, Tiger.

5. White, Crystal, Silver Pheasant, Black Bear.

6. White, Adularia, Egret, Spotted Bear.

7. Gold, (Plain), Mandarin Duck, Tiger Cat.

8. Gold, (Engraved), Quail, Seal

9. Gold, (Engraved), Fly catcher, Rhinocerous.


Nick

There is a very good article on the Forum about textiles:

http://www.asianart.com/textiles/textile.html

In any of your textile pieces, if you come across piping that is doubled and the piping is gold on a silk thread former; and the piece can be classed as Buddhist, Taiost or Ancestor worship, then it's a good possibility it's an imperial piece.

Sumptuary laws throughout the Ming and Ching restricted the use of precious metals for items of a religious nature to the Imperial household.

A note on the technique.

Usually in Chinese art, an effect of decorating by the use of different tones of the same colour, using dark on the outer to lighter on the inner, on decorative motifs such as mountains, cloud scrolls.
In this piece this has been effected by the use of different tones of the same colour in the dye of the background piece in some area's.

Also note the use of 5 colour's with yellow for Earth, Blue sky (Space). Black (land of the sunless North). White (Purity, Death, Rebirth).
Red, (Fire, the three types of light.)

There is above the head of the peacock a motif which first makes it's appearance at Dunhuang in a variant form, a bat motif in your case.
I cant really tell as their is no close up, but it looks to be on a lotus petal throne.

Throughout the whole border and among the cloud scrolls, piped in is the sound which encompasses all sounds and represents the Buddha, Aum.
Where the 3's are formed in effect.


Nick

Hi Ben,

Many thanks for your information about the badge, I am most grateful. At least I now know what rank the badge represents and how old it is.

Kind Regards,

Chris

I wrote a couple of page answer to this post which seems to have disappeared.

nick

I would actually guess it is a silver pheasant 5th rank not an egret. It is slightly confusing since it only has four long tail feathers not 5 (which is more typical of silver pheasants). But I think the scale pattern on the back coupled with the presence of two short tails feathers on either side of the long tail feathers is more consistent with the silver pheasant. I agree with Bendrl that it is mid to late 19th century and probably was converted to a purse in 20th century which is common.
Dragonfly356

At first I thought that it was a 5th rank also, but I was troubled by the lack of 5 feathers (the standard way of telling if it's a 5th rank). My theory is that the maker of the badge deliberately made the 6th rank bird look like a 5th rank bird to make the wearer look like a higher ranking official. I've seen examples of badges which are deceptive like that.

Just a theory on the rank badges. To use five tail feathers would indicate the Yang aspect, perhaps it has been made for a female courtier where the number 4 would would be more appropriate.

Another possibility is the rank badge is not Chinese and perhaps Korean and the number of tail feathers reflect the number of claws of the Korean dragon (4).
Also within the imperial Chinese Court was the allocating of 5 and 4 to different ranks.

Nick

In the Samsung Gallery of Korean Art is a rank badge showing an egret with 4 tail feathers.

Another feature of the design which is similar is the use of differing number of feathers to represent each wing.

Your badge is quite similar in overall design, using different colours.

Nick

I would like to thank all those who were kind enough to put interesting and useful comments in regards to this piece.

Kind Regards,

Chris

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |