The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the insignia badges used by officials in Joseon and China (Ming and Qing) by reviewing the characteristics of the symbols and methods used at the time. In this study, establishment and changes of th...
The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the insignia badges used by officials in Joseon and China (Ming and Qing) by reviewing the characteristics of the symbols and methods used at the time. In this study, establishment and changes of the insignia badge system are examined through the study of relevant materials and records. In addition, the characteristics of each time frame are analyzed and the insignia badges in Joseon and Qing are compared and contrasted based on the collected pieces.
The insignia badge system was established in the 24th year of Hongwu (1391) in Ming Dynasty. According to this system, all officials ranging from 1st rank (pum) to 9th rank used their designated rank symbol in their badge, a bird for civil officials or an animal for military officials. In the early stage, only cloud symbols were embroidered in the background of the insignia badge. Over time, however, additional symbols of waves, world mountain with triple peaks, and pierced rocks appeared in the bottom of the badges, with rank symbols surrounded by fully blossomed peonies. In the beginning of the 17th century, there was a significant change in civil officials’ insignia badges. A new pattern with a symbol of one bird perched on a rock, instead of two flying facing each other was first used. This pattern continued to be used in the Qing Dynasty.
Qing’s insignia badge system was established in the 9th year of Shunzhi (1652) by adopting the corresponding system of Ming. In the Qing Dynasty, with many patterns come and gone, new styles of insignia badges were continuously introduced. In the beginning, a relatively simple style badge with its background filled with clouds, waves, and pierced rocks and with one or two precious treasures placed between the waves prevailed. However, over time, the background was filled with various luck symbols such as peaches, peonies, bats, and precious treasures. After the 1850s, an even more complicated style, with li shui (meaning deep water) in the bottom and 8-24 precious treasures among clouds and waves, was introduced. However, after the Hundred Days of Reform in 1898, all the symbols except for clouds, sun disks and precious treasure, disappeared from the background. Embroidery, k'o-suu (silk tapestry) and brocade methods used in the Ming Dynasty were used in the manufacturing of insignia badges, with each being preferred in different times.
Adopting insignia badges used in Ming, Joseon first introduced its own insignia badges in the 2nd year of Danjong(1454). According to the principles of grading down by two grades, peacock symbols, which were used for 3rd rank in Ming, were used for 1st rank in Joseon. Excavated insignia badges made in Joseon in 16th century are similar to those used in the Ming. With the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the crane or lion insignia badges, used for 1st rank in Ming, began to be used in Joseon as well. As the 18th century began, Joseon’s own traditional pattern in insignia badges with cloud bands in the upper part, waves, world mountain with three peaks and pierced rocks in the bottom, and two birds flying facing each other near long horizontal clouds in the middle emerged. This particular pattern, with some modification only in numbers and types of the rank symbols over time, lasted until the end of the Joseon Dynasty. Brocade insignia badges had been used since the establishment of the insignia badges system in the 15th century until the mid-17th century while embroidered insignia badges were first used only after the 17th century.
Joseon’s insignia badges system had been introduced and administrated under the influence of Ming until the Ming Dynasty fell and Joseon started to design its own. While Qing kept inventing new patterns, Joseon continued to use its own pattern that had emerged in the 18th century without much modification except for the size of insignia badges gradually decreased.
Li shui (meaning deep water) symbols, specifically the insignia badges made in late Qing Dynasty, were used mostly in badges made after 1850. However, li shui symbols were not used in Joseon and only a few badges, presumably brought in from China in the late Joseon Dynasty, have these symbols. Single-crane insignia badges with the li shui symbols, used by Danghakwan (an official with grade lower than 3rd rank) in the late Joseon Dynasty can be compared and contrasted with the crane insignia badges used in the late Qing. They are similar in that they all used untwisted silk threads, had li shui symbols in the bottom and similar type of cranes and clouds. On the other hand, they are different from each other in that the postures of the cranes or the numbers of the precious treasures are different, or in that one used pierced rock while the other used world mountain with triple peaks. In such regard, the Joseon’s insignia badges, though having li shui symbols, are different from the ones popular in Qing at the time.
Insignia badges embroidered with metallic threads were used in both Joseon and Qing. In these badges, symbols were embroidered with metallic threads using couching stitch, to be more specific, using Kung-su (meaning stitches embroidered in the palace) method in Joseon and Ddim-su (placing 0.1 cm intervals instead of borders) method in Qing. In Kung-su method, two kinds of golden threads, a single strand thin one for filling an area and a double strand of thick one for sewing the borders, were used. This method can be found in the insignia badges and dragon roundels used by the royal families in the 18th-19th century.
On the other hand, in Ddim-su method, metallic threads in same thickness were used to fill symbols, leaving approximate 0.1 cm intervals instead of borders. In the insignia badges embroidered with metallic threads in the late Qing Dynasty, this Ddim-su method was used. Among the double-crane insignia badges in the late Joseon Dynasty, some made in one of the Qing’s commercial studios used this Ddim-su method although it had a design that was very typical in the late Joseon Dynasty. Ddim-su method can be found in the turtle insignia badge of Heungsun Daewonkoon and the dragon roundel attached onto the dragon robe of the King Youngchin. Considering the fact that they were made for Daewonkoon and the king, it seems highly likely that the badge and dragon roundel were made in the palace. However, the stitch method used was Ddim-su, used in Qing, not Kung-su. In light of the foregoing, two possible arguments can be made: either Ddim-su used in Qing was introduced into Joseon’s Kung-su in the late Joseon Dynasty, or the dragon roundels, turtle insignia badge were ordered to be manufactured in China.