Page 79 - 2021 March 18th Junkunc Collection Christie's New York City

During the Ming dynasty, belt sets made of various materials including jade and silver
were made to be worn with formal court wear, the type of material indicating the
rank and status of the official. A belt of jade plaques, jade being considered the most
precious material of all, would have been worn by someone of Imperial rank. A Ming-
dynasty jade belt set comprised of plaques of similar design and shapes, in the Qing
Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace
Museum - 41- Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 204-205, pl. 166. Another, comprised
of ten plaques, from the Mengdiexuan Collection, is illustrated by J. M. White and
E. C. Bunker, Adornment for Eternity: Status and Rank in Chinese Ornament, Denver Art
Museum, 1994, pp. 200-201, no. 113.