Rank Badge with Bear
The bear represents the fifth military rank. While the birds used in Chinese rank badges correspond to actual species, the animals usually do not. Instead, many are fantastic animals, and all were chosen for their supernatural power. Bears on rank badges do not resemble bears in nature. Instead, they often feature an upswept mane, an emphasis on the paws (very long in this example), and an extended tail.
Artwork Details
- Title: Rank Badge with Bear
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: late 17th–early 18th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Silk, metallic thread, and feather-thread supplementary weft-patterned silk satin
- Dimensions: 13 x 11 1/2 in. (33.02 x 29.21 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Woven
- Credit Line: Anonymous Gift, 1943
- Object Number: 43.115.1
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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