Like all high status garment through history and across cultures, the rank insignia (mandarin squares, rank badges) of the Chinese imperial bureaucrats evolved over time. Understanding this evolution can not only provide some insight between the conditions of Chinese society at a point in time, but can also provide major insights into the time when a rank badge was produced. This information is helpful in determining age if you are a scholar and value if you are a collector. Dr. David Hugus has made this study a focus of his research on rank badges and will present his conclusions about the evolution of the design during the Yongzheng emperor's reign (1723-1735).
Dr. Hugus will sign his book Ladder to the Clouds after the lecture.
To RSVP, call (626) 449-2742 ext. 31.
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