Hey everyone! We have quite the collection coming up of Chinese textiles and rank badges and my oh my are they really fun to look at! The colors are extremely vibrant, and the images are beautifully detailed. Quite a few of them utilize the forbidden stitch technique in which is when embroiders wound the thread around the needle a few times before plunging through the fabric to create tiny knots. This technique was most likely introduced by the French during the Ming Dynasty, however legend has it that the embroiders would go blind by using the technique. Realistically, it was probably named as such because the stitch was named after the Forbidden City, but its origins are still not known as a fact, it’s more of speculation and educated guess work. The technique used in most of our examples are used to create flowers with soft color gradients giving the imagery a delicate look. Regardless, the rank badges are just as impressive and arguably more fun than the textiles! My personal favorite is the 7th rank civilian badge which depicts the Mandarin duck. Not only is it because I really love ducks and their weird little faces, but these badges tend to be the most colorful out of the civilian badges, and in my opinion the most striking! However, this is not the highlight of our February 21st auction in terms of badges! We have an exquisite 3rd rank military badge depicting a spotted leopard with flames, crashing waves, and so many clouds in blue hues. As depicted on this leopard badge, the sun sits in the upper right corner, this is because the emperor would be seated to the right of military officials, therefore the animals in the rank badges would also turn towards the emperor out of respect. Typically, the badges used by wives of civilian officials would be the mirrored reflection of her husband’s creating a harmonious image, but it was different for military wives. In this case, the animal used on the man’s badge would face left towards their spouse while the head of the animal would be turned towards the emperor to show respect, but also create an image of marital harmony. The aesthetics of these badges are interesting on their one with all the rules on animal placement, but the use of color really draws people in! If you want your very own rank badge or want to own your own piece of forbidden stitch textiles, make sure to check us out!
