Buzi (Court Rank Badge)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1825/50, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
This object is a circular Chinese court rank badge (buzi) dating to 1825/50 during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Made in China and associated with the Manchu court, the badge measures 28.5 by 28.6 cm (11 1/4 by 11 1/4 in.). The base fabric is silk in a warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave, and the textile is lined with plain weave silk.
The badge is decorated with embroidery executed in silk as well as gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk. The embroidery techniques include knot, satin, and stem stitches, along with laid work and couching. The central motif depicts a front-facing dragon coiled among swirling clouds above frothing waves, with bats and auspicious motifs scattered across the field. The circular badge is vertically split down the center into two halves, typical of front-opening court garments.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered with silk and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk in knot, satin, and stem stitches; laid work and couching; lined with silk, plain weave
- Dimensions
- 28.5 × 28.6 cm (11 1/4 × 11 1/4 in.)
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Manchu, China
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Art Institute of Chicago collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Buzi (Court Rank Badge)
- Museum object number
- 1954.939c
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.