Description
Embroidered panel on black silk, depicting a bird at the centre of the panel and sun at the top left of the composition. Surrounding the bird depiction is a floral and geometric border. Embroidered in shades of silver and gold thread, and backed onto sky blue silk.

Measurements
L:  290 mm W:  280 mm Silk, Gold and silver thread

Notes
This object is a Chinese embroidery of mandarin square, or rank badge. It is hard to provide a dating according to photos. Probably 19th century, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Badges like there were worn by Qing officials and their wives (who wear identical ones as their husbands') in formal occasions. There is a court regulation that provides guidance on which animals (military)/birds (civil) correspond to which ranks, though people did cross the border line from time to time. For this square, the depiction shows the sun and a golden pheasant with wave and clouds. The golden pheasant is assigned to 2nd rank in the Qing civil services. Here is an ancestor portrait of a military official wearing the rank badge in the V&A collection. 

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O12677/ancestor-portrait-unknown/

info provided by Dr Qin Cao- Curator: Chinese collections, East and Central Asia - Department of World Cultures- National Museum of Scotland (05/09/2018)

Old label reads 'Presented by Mrs Irons, 13 Cromwell Road, Aberdeen. Purchased at Shanghai in 1923 and said to have been old at that date'.

Mrs Irons also donated the three Edward Curtis photographs – purchased in Shanghai in 1923 as well as 6 pieces of Chinese embroidery.