Bidspirit auction | Late Qing Dynasty Chinese Embroidered

Late Qing Dynasty Chinese Embroidered Silk Egret Civil Official Rank Badge - A Chinese civil official rank badge, known as a buxi, dating to the late 19th century of the Qing Dynasty. The central motif features a white egret, denoting a sixth-rank civil official, standing upon a rock amidst stylized crashing waves and diagonal lishui stripes. The bird faces a golden sun in the upper left corner. The surrounding dark silk ground is decorated with multi-colored ruyi-form clouds and auspicious symbols including an endless knot and a ceremonial vase. The badge is executed in silk embroidery using satin stitching and couched metallic threads for the outlines. The central panel is framed by a thin light blue silk border and mounted on a larger square of beige floral-patterned silk brocade. The reverse is lined with light blue silk. The lining bears a purple oval ink stamp at the upper left corner with the printed text MADE IN CHINA; the characters below the center line are not legible (Photo 6). A handwritten purple ink mark reading 2Z or 27 is also present near the corner (Photo 7). Three black Velcro strips are adhered to the top edge of the reverse for display. Width: 14.75 inches Height: 14.5 inches. The piece is in fair antique condition. There is a prominent horizontal tear in the dark silk ground to the right of the bird's legs (Photos 2, 3, 4). Several smaller splits and areas of fraying are visible in the silk foundation. The embroidery shows light surface wear with minor losses to the couched metallic threads. The reverse lining displays staining and some discoloration (Photo 5).