Featured Antique Chinese Rank Badges - Mine. All Mine

I have been blathering on for years here about my love of antique Chinese silk embroidery. I still remember the day 30 years ago when I saw my first dragon robe exhibit. I became immediately enchanted by this three-dimensional art form. While many of the symbols used were fairly standard, there was such creativity in the colors, relationships, sizes, designs, and placement. I marveled at the vibrance of the silk colors after 100s of years.

Since that time, I have collected approximately 20 pieces of antique Chinese silk embroidery that came from a variety of sources, mainly pieces cut from wealthy/court officials clothing and parts of ornamental pieces.

Several years ago, I became fixated on one type - the Mandarin square or the Rank Badge. My interest in these rank badges, which were worn by civil servants, military, and members of the Imperial Court to denote their rank, is that I was a civil servant for 36 years of my career. I feel an affinity to those long ago people who wore these symbols.

Acquiring these pieces has been quite an effort. They are massively reproduced, and some are passed off as authentic. I was able to acquire one from a member here - @Jose Deleon, and I already possessed a roundel of "a Prince, the wife(s) of the Prince or the first son of the Prince." That's it - after years of searching for something that I could afford that was real.

Until now! A fantastic, wonderful member of this forum, @Jimmy Lee, has been helping me over the years by authenticating potential purchases. Recently, he has chosen to divest himself of some of his treasures that I snapped up in a hot minute.

Here they are:

Mid-19th century egret badge on a dark blue gauze ground fabric



Mid-19th century mandarin duck badge on an orange ground fabric



Late-19th century silver pheasant badge on a gauze ground



Pair of late-19th century egret badges on dark blue gauze ground



The split one is for the front of the robe and the other is the back.

Mine. Mine. All Mine. I am off to the framers to preserve them, as the true treasures that they are.

I wanted to share here, so you know what you are seeing if you spot one. Keep me in mind, if you want to pass it on.

 

What a great collection kiko

Brilliantly informative as well

I don't doubt for a second these are legit

They scream authentic

Beautiful designs with integrity

Thanks so much for showing

 

Hard for me to pick a favorite...they are all lovely!!!! The Mandarin Duck does look pretty special!!

 

I am beyond excited. Once framed all of them will go into a location with low light but that I can see every day. I can't believe my luck. Poor Jim. I have pestered him over the years with so many inauthentic ones. Maybe he just sold them to me to get rid of me.

 

Seventh rank in the ranking systems. They would want to show off.

 

Well, if he did.........................it worked!!

 

I think I would consider framing them individually, they kind of deserve that, not lumped together

But probably more expensive to do so

 

That's the plan except the pair. They are 11"X 11", so not very big but you need to get exactly the right framer to handle delicate older pieces, use acid free mats and museum glass.

 

Great minds think alike

 

I like the Mandarin Duck.

We will want to see them once they are framed of course.

 

Of course. At your command.

 

How did I miss this thread?
Lovely, just lovely. Enjoy them and thanks for sharing.

 

Beautiful!! Just amazingly Beautiful, Kiko!! Thank you so much for sharing them!!

 

I'll make the next one Bigger. I'm glad you like seeing them.

 

Thank you. It was an itch that I could not scratch.

 

Thanks. I bet you have sought and found something like this for yourself.

 

Thank you for sharing. it is always good to have something to look for!

 

I still don't have a Stevens and Williams applied decoration piece, so I still have something to look for.

 

Fabulous ! please show them framed so we can envy you properly !