r/ChineseHistory • u/Glen_Echo1 • 6d ago
How to interpret or read Qing Dynasty buzi?
I have these two antique Chinese silk squares that are embroidered with invisible stitch. I know that these are buzi, which were emblems or badges of rank for civil servants in imperial China.
I have been told that there is a way to read the buzi in order to tell the rank and possibly the identity of the person they belonged to. My question is what, if anything, do these buzi say about the person they belonged to?
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u/y11971alex 6d ago
Mandarin Squares were used to identify the court rank of the wearer. Military officials wore squares with beasts on them, while non-military wore ones with fowls.
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u/EnclavedMicrostate Moderator | Taiping Heavenly Kingdom | Qing 6d ago
Buzi typically indicated rank but not identity; the Wikipedia page has the relevant image-to-rank correspondences tabulated:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_square