Page 164 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

186
A RARE PAIR OF GAUZE SILK ‘LEOPARD’ MILITARY BADGES,
BUZI
18th century
Each finely woven with silk of muted tones and couched gold threads
on a deep blue ground depicting a leopard gazing at the sun with a
gaping mouth, standing on grass amidst a profusion of trailing blue
clouds and a flaming jewel, within a leiwen border.
32cm (12 1/2in) wide x 31.5cm (12 3/8in) high. (2).

£4,000 - 6,000
CNY31,000 - 47,000
十八世紀 刺繡豹紋三品武官補子

Provenance: an English private collection

來源: 英國私人收藏

The present pair of badges would have been worn by a military official
of the third rank.

Badges displaying fabulous creatures, birds or animals were worn by
the members of the Qing ruling elites as part of their Court dress. The
various species, whether real or imaginary, signified the wearer’s rank
and the badges were worn in pairs on the bufu surcoat. Accordingly,
one badge was attached to the back of the surcoat, the other was
made in two parts, which were respectively placed to the right and left
hand side of the opening on the chest.

Badges made for military officials of the highest ranks appear to have
survived in lesser number than examples used by civil officials, and
always had a central animal, as opposed to birds which decorated the
civil insignia. Compare with a related silk embroidered ‘leopard’ rank
badge, 19th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
acc.no.60.103.5.

See a related silk embroidered rank badge, late Ming/early Qing
dynasty, which was sold at Bonhams San Francisco, 17 December
2013, lot 8256.
186

187
A FINE KESI ‘PEACOCK’ RANK BADGE, BUZI
19th century
Made for a third rank civil official, the badge finely woven with a
peacock gazing at the sun, perched on one leg above a rock emerging
from rolling waves tossed with the Buddhist Emblems, flanked
by further ruyi rocks issuing lingzhi fungi and narcissi, all beneath
vaporous clouds and leafy tendrils.
30cm (11 6/8in) x 30cm (11 6/8in).
£4,000 - 6,000
CNY31,000 - 47,000

十九世紀 緙絲孔雀紋三品文官補子

Compare with a related silk embroidered rank badge, late 18th/early
19th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
acc.no.30.75.913.

187

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
16 please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.
162 | BONHAMS2 | BONHAMS