Mandarin Official's Summer Hat, Qing Dynasty
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A Chinese Mandarin official's summer hat, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Guangxu period (1871-1908), circa 1880, This fine example in the form of a conical crown of split bamboo cane, covered with a seamless piece of white silk gauze and decorated with tassels of red braided Manchurian silk, surmounted with a gilt copper finial supporting a crystal sphere, with gold brocade edging, with a green plume holder and peacock feather attached. Provenance: Purchased Linda Wrigglesworth at Irving Galleries, London, 'Echoes from china' Exhibition, in 1991, 4033/20a, catalogue no. 80, Ex Traphagan school of fashion, New York, USA. Collected in 1908, Acquisition no. C.8.49. B. Other Notes: When the Manchus assumed control of China in 1644 to establish the Qing dynasty, they introduced a new system of coloured hat finials to identify the rank of nobles and officials. The crystal sphere, as seen here, is indicative of a fifth rank official. The wearer would have accompanied this hat with either a silver pheasant or a badge of rank, reference: for a very similar example, please see: Christie's, New York, 19 March 2008, Lot 114, the summer hat in the Newark Museum, gift of the iris barrel Apfel collection. The Collection of Ken Rutherford, NSW, as illustrated in Judith Rutherford and Jackie Menzie's, celestial silks, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2004, cat. No. 59
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- Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.
Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins. - Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Qing Dynasty - The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. It was established by the Manchu people, who originated from the northeastern region of China. The Qing Dynasty was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
- Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.
- School of .... - In the opinion of the cataloguer, a work by a pupil or follower of the artist.
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