CHINA - 6th rank civil silk mandarin (buzi) square depicting an egret on a rock embroidered on a blue background Qing period, 18th century. H. 30 x 31 cm Condition: visible pitting on the back, embroidery mark. As is Please note: The Buzi (or rank badge) is an embroidered or woven square patch sewn onto the front and back of the robes of officials during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. Its origins date back to the Tang dynasty, when the decorative elements of the robes already indicated the rank of the wearer. Under the reign of Zhu Yanzhang, the motifs were replaced by crests codified according to rank and function, representing a bird for the civil ranks or ferocious animals for the military, visually formalising the imperial hierarchy. Under the Ming, Buzi measured around 40 cm square, with dense embroidery often made in kesi 缂丝 (silk tapestry using metal or silk threads) or zhuanghua 壮锦(brocade). The style is characterised by symmetrical composition and codified symbolism inspired by Tang models. Under the Qing, Ming crests of around 40 cm became slightly smaller (around 30 cm), and adopted a more pictorial style, with softer outlines, sometimes incorporating cosmological elements such as waves, clouds and mountains : Designs for civil servants: 1st row - Crane, 2nd row - Golden pheasant, 3rd row - Peacock, 4th row - Clouded leopard, 5th row - White swan, 6th row - Egret, 7th row - Mandarin teal, 8th row - Oriole, 9th row - Quail. The designs for military officials: 1st rank - Qilin, 2nd rank - Lion, 3rd rank - Leopard, 4th rank - Tiger, 5th rank - Bear, 6th rank - Tigron, 7th rank - Rhinoceros, 8th rank - Seahorse.