An 18th Century Chinese Qing Dynasty Qianlong Period Red Head Crane Embroidered Silk Rank Badge
十八世纪中国清乾隆年间缂丝红顶仙鹤一品文官補子
The wearing of a mandarin square on robes or Yuanlingshan denoted the difference between civilians and nobles and officials, this was first introduced for wear by the Ming Dynasty in 1391, the use of squares depicting birds for civil officials and animals for military officials was a progression of the use of similar squares, for decorative use, in the Yuan Dynasty.
Ming nobles and officials wore their rank badges on full-cut red robes with the design stretching from side to side, completely covering the chest and back.
Qing badges were smaller with a decorative border and, while the specific birds and animals did not change much throughout their use, the design of the squares underwent an almost continual evolution. According to rank, Qing-Dynasty noblefs had their respective official clothes.
This square would have been taken from the back panel of the robe of a government official or civil servant. Hand woven on silk taken from a lighter summer robe, it depicts a red crowned crane symbolising longevity, immortality and nobility. The crane sands on a rock in the middle of the ocean, where land meets water and air. Surrounding the crane are five bats for luck and the traditional motif of auspicious clouds. This square is in great condition with vivid colours.
補子又称胸背，是缀于品官补服前胸后背之上的一块织物，是明清官服制度的一个重要特征。補子多以方補形式出现，制作方法有织锦、刺绣和缂丝三种。不同等级的官员補子图案不同，而文官和武官的補子又有不同。文官的補子用飞禽做图案，武官的则用猛兽。此红顶仙鹤文官補子约为清乾隆年间，属于一品文官之物。 仙鹤美丽超逸、高雅圣洁，而且长寿，在古代是仙风道骨和长寿的象征。古代所说的吉祥鸟中，仙鹤的地位仅次于凤凰而居第二，凤是皇后的象征，而仙鹤则官居一品。《诗经?小雅》中有云：“鹤鸣九皋，声闻于天”， 一品官员補子采用仙鹤的图案，意为奏对天子。補子随官职而存在，且受到朝廷的限制，不能大量制作，因此具有极高的工艺价值和历史价值，如今更是一种珍贵的文物藏品，尤其是这件保存完好的一品補子更是稀有。
L320 D290mm
