Lot 1155
1155
A VERY RARE PAIR OF GOLD-GROUND BROCADE RANK BADGES OF PEACOCKS, BUZI
A VERY RARE PAIR OF GOLD-GROUND BROCADE RANK BADGES OF PEACOCKS, BUZI
A VERY RARE PAIR OF GOLD-GROUND BROCADE RANK BADGES OF PEACOCKS, BUZI
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Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more PROPERTY FROM THE DAVID HUGUS COLLECTION
A VERY RARE PAIR OF GOLD-GROUND BROCADE RANK BADGES OF PEACOCKS, BUZI

17TH CENTURY

Details
A VERY RARE PAIR OF GOLD-GROUND BROCADE RANK BADGES OF PEACOCKS, BUZI
17TH CENTURY
Made for the wife of a third-rank civil official, each badge is worked in blue, red, and green with a large peacock standing on one leg on jagged rocks above waves, all amidst scrolling clouds with details picked out in peacock feather filament.
11 x 12 1⁄4 in. (27.9 x 30.8 cm.)
Provenance
Myrna Myers, Paris.
Christie's New York, 15 September 2011, lot 1250.
Literature
D. Hugus, Chinese Rank Badges: Symbols of Power, Wealth, and Intellect in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2021, p. 70, fig. 6.7 (one).
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.

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


Rank badges of this type woven in brocade with a gold ground appear to be quite rare. A stylistically similar badge made for a military official of the fourth rank, woven in brocade with a lion on a gold ground, and dated to the Yongzheng period, is illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, Power Dressing: Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, 2006, no. 67. The rendering of the waves, rocks and clouds is quite similar on the two, as is the woven gold ground.

The use of badges applied to the front and back of court robes to indicate rank was instituted during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and continued through the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). While Ming dynasty badges were displayed on the court robe, Qing dynasty badges were moved to an outer garment, or surcoat.

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