A RARE IMPERIAL EMBROIDERED GREEN-GROUND CEREMONIAL MILITARY 'DRAGON' BANNER
Qianlong Of triangular form with flame-like edges, displaying a sinuous, five-clawed dragon in pursuit of a flaming pearl, amidst ruyi clouds, the dragon rendered in gold thread, all against a green ground, the reverse in salmon-pink. 212cm (83 1/2in) wide x 161cm (63 3/8in) high.
清乾隆 綠地緞繡云龍紋三角纛
Banners of varying colours played a crucial role in coordinating battlefield manoeuvres and maintaining order during military parades. The triangular form of this banner, with its flame-like edges, is an ancient design that appears in Chinese painting as early as the Tang dynasty and recurs throughout the history of Imperial China.
The precise identification of this banner remains elusive. One possibility is that it formed part of a set of five banners symbolising the wuxing (五行), or Five Phases, which represent the cosmic order. According to this system, the blue-green colour (qing 青) corresponds to the element wood and the direction east. Its associated animal emblem is the dragon, a symbol of power and protection.
Alternatively, this banner may have been linked to the Green Standard Army (lǜyingbing 綠營兵), the militia force of the Qing dynasty. Unlike the elite Manchu Eight Banners (baqi, 八旗), which had conquered the Chinese empire in 1644, the Green Standard Army was composed almost entirely of Han Chinese soldiers. Following the conquest, Manchu banner troops and their families were settled in segregated garrisons throughout the empire's major cities. This separation was intended to preserve their martial spirit, prevent assimilation, and project authority over the much larger Han Chinese population. However, over time, the banner forces became increasingly inefficient and corrupt, as discipline eroded and opportunities for advancement dwindled. In contrast, the Green Standard Army took on the vital role of law enforcement across the empire. Though largely made up of Han Chinese soldiers, it was led by officers drawn from the Manchu Banners, ensuring Qing oversight.
Stylistically, the embroidery on this banner suggests a dating to the first third of the 18th century. It may have identified a Green Standard Army company stationed in the capital, where their duties included guarding the city gates and maintaining public order. Examples of green dragon flags can be seen painted on the Imperial Court painting Wanshou Dianqing Tu which depicts a military parade held in the capital to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of the mother of the Qianlong Emperor. This painting is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and is illustrated in Qingdai Gongting shenghuo (Life in the Palace during the Qing Dynasty), Beijing, 1985, pl.385.
See a very similar green military banner with a dragon, early 18th century, illustrated by J.E.Vollmer, Silk for Thrones and Altars: Chinese Costumes and Textiles, Paris, 2003, pp.74-75. A pair of similar white banners are in The Minneapolis Institute of Art (acc.nos.42.8.282 and 283).
See also a similar embroidered yellow 'dragon' banner, Qing dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9 October 2007, lot 1317.
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