17TH CENTURY

Details

A VERY RARE GOLD-GROUND BROCADE RANK BADGE OF A TIGER, BUZI
17TH CENTURY
Made for a third-rank military official, the badge is woven with a tiger with blue striated fur amidst scrolling clouds and flames, tossed with a flaming pearl, a gold ingot, and a roll of silk, all above crashing waves.
12 7⁄8 x 14 3⁄8 in. (32.3 x 36.2 cm.)

Provenance

Jon Eric Riis.

Literature

B. Jackson and D. Hugus, Ladder to the Clouds, Berkeley, 1999, p. 220, 15.003 and back cover.
D. Hugus, Chinese Rank Badges: Symbols of Power, Wealth, and Intellect in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2021, p. 68, fig. 6.3a.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Rufus Chen (陳嘉安) Head of Sale, AVP, Specialist

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

There are far less extant examples of military officials’ badges than civil official’s badges, likely because there were far more military than civil posts (see, G. Dickinson and L. Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, Berkeley, 2000, p. 126). A similarly-worked brocade military badge, but with a dark blue ground, is in The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 46-27, and illustrated in Antiques & The Arts Weekly, “Lively Creatures: Animals in Chinese Art”, 14 January 2022, p. 31.

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