Mandarin Square - Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

There was a sharp difference between the Ming and Qing styles of badges: the Qing badges were smaller with a decorative border. And, while the specific birds and animals did not change much throughout their use, the design of the squares underwent an almost continual evolution. According to rank, Qing-Dynasty nobles had their respective official clothes. Princes, including Qin Wang and Jun Wang, usually wore black robes as opposed to the blue robes in court, and had four circular designs, one on each shoulder, front, and back, as opposed to the usual front-and-back design. Specifically, Princes of the Blood used four front-facing dragons, Qin Wang had two front-facing and two side-facing dragons, and Jun Wang had four side-facing ones; all had five claws on each foot. Beile and Beizi had a circular design on their official clothing, the former having two front-facing dragons, the latter two side-facing ones; these dragon had only four claws on each foot, and are referred to as "drakes" or "great serpents" (巨蟒 jù-mǎng). National Duke, General, Efu, "Commoner" Duke, Marquis and Count had two front-facing, four-clawed dragons on square designs, whereas Viscount and Baron had cranes and golden pheasants, as for Mandarins of the First and Second Class.

• 3rd Civil Rank (Peacock). Applique. Late 19th century/early 20th century.

• 5th Military Rank (Bear). Kesi. Circa 1860.

• Members of three generations of a lineage are shown in Qing mandarin attire, complete with mandarin squares