Badge for third rank civil official with two peacocks, peonies, clouds, and lingzhi fungus
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
probably 16th century -
Geography
China -
Material
Silk tapestry (kesi): woven silk and metal-wrapped threads -
Dimension
H x W (image): 26.8 x 30.8 cm (10 9/16 x 12 1/8 in) -
Accession Number
F1911.635 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1911.635
Object Details
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Description
This Badge depicts two peacocks--the peacock being the insignia for a Third Rank Civil Official (and by some accounts was also used for fourth-rank officials in the Ming). One peacock soars in flight and the other stands on a rock near water. Peony blossoms, symbolic of prosperity and honor, and a sprig "lingzhi, the so-called fungus of immortality, fill the middle ground. Auspicious, colored clouds appear at the top and bottom borders. The original red color of the peonies and cloud bands has faded to a mute, brownish tone. -
Provenance
To 1911Loon Gu-sai, Beijing, to 1911 [1]From 1911 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Loon Gu-sai in 1911 [2]From 1920Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]Notes:[1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 741, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. According to Ingrid Larsen, "'Don’t Send Ming or Later Pictures': Charles Lang Freer and the First Major Collection of Chinese Painting in an American Museum," Ars Orientalis vol. 40 (2011), Loon Gu Sai was possibly Lunguzhai, a store in the antiques district of Liulichang.[2] See note 1.[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery. -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Nine Deaths, Two Births: Xu Bing's Phoenix Project (April 27 to September 2, 2013)Luxury and Luminosity: Visual Culture and the Ming Court (July 3, 2004 to June 26, 2005)On Becoming Immortal (May 9, 1993 to August 15, 1994)Chinese Art (May 9 to November 29, 1993)Chinese Bird and Flower Painting (January 27, 1986 to June 30, 1986)Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981) -
Previous custodian or owner
Loon Gu Sai (C.L. Freer source)Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) -
Origin
China -
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer -
Type
Costume and Textile -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
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