Chinese Decorative Designs Coloring Book

In a tradition practiced for hundreds of years, throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, Chinese military and civil officials wore large silk badges on the front and back of their robes. The embroidered or tapestry squares signified the individual’s rank based on the animal depicted. Civil officials’ badges featured one of nine birds, such as a crane, pheasant, or peacock, while military badges showed one of nine powerful animals—real or mythical—such as a lion, tiger, bear, or qilin. The mallow flower badge in this coloring book would have been worn by a civil official in the Sacred Music Department. The tapestry badge depicting phoenixes in a symbolic landscape may have been woven as a decorative insignia for a female member of the imperial household.

Also called buzi, or mandarin squares, the textiles are popular with collectors. Badges worn on the front may have been split down the center to accommodate the opening of the robe. Tiny beads or pearls were sometimes used as ornamentation, and painted details may also be seen. While most badges illustrate existing animals, the presentation is not always lifelike. Ducks may or may not have webbed feet; flames shooting from the body of the bear denote supernatural powers.

Images

Rank badge with wild goose, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th century

Rank badge with silver pheasant, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–1795)

Rank badge with peacock, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), late 18th–early 19th century

Rank badge with eastern egret, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), early 18th century

Rank badge with crane, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century

Rank badge with dragon with deer hooves, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th–19th century

Rank badge with peacock, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), late 19th century

Rank badge with mandarin duck, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th century

Rank badge with leopard, wave, and sun motifs, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), late 18th century

Rank badge with mandarin duck, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), early 18th century

Rank badge with mythological animal, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), late 16th–early 17th century

Rank badge with phoenixes, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 16th century

Rank badge with qilin, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century

Rank badge with mallow flower, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), early 19th century

Rank badge with peacock, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th century

Rank badge with lion, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century

Rank badge with leopard, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century

Rank badge with pheasant, 19th century

Rank badge with mandarin duck, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), early 18th century

Rank badge with bear, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th century

Rank badge with tiger, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th century

Rank badge with lion, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 15th century