Qing Dynasty K’o-Ssu (“Cut Silk”) Rank Badge with Silver Phoenix

The Chinese tradition of wearing rank badges (buzi), also known as Mandarin squares, to demonstrate civil, military or imperial rank began in 1391 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and continued throughout the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

These insignia were sewn onto or woven into the wearer’s garments to indicate their rank. Attached to the front and back of a ceremonial robe, rank badges were woven in pairs with identical imagery. One was divided vertically up the center to attach to the front of a robe with a center opening.

A badge featuring a bird identified the wearer as a civil official. To attain such a position required years of intense study, so birds may have been selected because of their literary associations. Each rank was represented by a different species, and while there were slight variations over time, by the Qing Dynasty the order from highest to lowest was: (1) crane, (2) golden pheasant, (3) peacock, (4) wild goose, (5) silver pheasant, (6) egret, (7) mandarin duck, (8) quail and (9) paradise flycatcher. Civil officials sat on the emperor’s left at court functions, so their rank birds faced right towards him.

This badge, made for civil official of the fifth rank, features a silver pheasant, which can be recognized by its five distinctive long, scalloped tail feathers. The bird, with its wings outspread, looks up at a full red sun on the upper left corner, which represents the Emperor. The bird is woven in white, with blue thread detailing. Various auspicious charms, including bats, fish, covered vases, coins, and conch shells, float throughout billowing clouds and waves surrounding the bird.

While many Qing-dynasty badges were embroidered, this one is an example of the painstaking weaving technique known as k’o-ssu, valued for creating an overall effect of carved silk. This particularly difficult process is obtained by taking plain colored warp threads and using various continuous colored silk weft threads to follow a painted pattern. Shuttles of weft threads weave one small single color section of the design, which is then ended. The next small section is done in the same way and ended. In working this way, a slit is created at the end point of each color, giving an overall effect of being carved silk or engraved thread.

The badge has been professionally framed on an acid-free mat with anti-reflective, UV-absorbing museum glass, a product which allows for amazing clarity and uncompromised protection.

The dimensions given are for the framed item; the dimensions of the badge alone are 11.1″ by 11.1″.