East Asia, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 19th century CE. A silk and embroidered textile panel known as a rank badge or Mandarin square with a delightful design of a bird. These badges have been worn in China by government officials since ancient times to indicate their position of power. Different birds were used to mark the levels of civil ranks, and predatory animals indicated military ranks. The paradise flycatcher, the bird depicted here, is the 9th or lowest rank in civil service. Those associated with this badge worked on a local level, which included judges and tax collectors. This panel is a dark blue with shimmering silk threads of white, blue, yellow, and green that create a decorative background with clouds and vegetation, and a foliate border. The central area features a large, white bird, with outstretched wings. Although stylized, the paradise flycatcher is recognized by two long tail feathers with faint golden stitches on the tips and on the crest of the head. This badge is mounted within a frame with a typed label and a photo of the flycatcher species on the verso! Size of textile: 10" L x 9.75" W (25.4 cm x 24.8 cm); size of frame: 14.25" L x 11.375" W (36.2 cm x 28.9 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Ventura County, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2008

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#143246

Fraying to textile peripheries. Threads of motif are fraying and loose with some fading of colors. Losses to threads on bird's body and other areas of the design. Motif is still clear and the badge is secured in a modern glass frame.