The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1894-03-24
CHIN Sc OFFICIAL IN, ,IGNIA.
Quaint Horaldio Emblems of Civic
and Mi itary Designs.
Buttons Worn Among tho so.cstiais
Which Indicate Descent from Fam
Lies of High Iank-Fig
urcs Used as symbols.

! Nothing is moro complicated thar
Chinese etiquette. said DR.. Edwarl
Eelloe, ex-consul to Annoy. to O
! Washington Post reporter. A master
of Debrett and Dur,sc is novice be
side q Celestial master of ceremonies
Nevertheless. the latter system is def
mite, if elaborate. and he has many
official landmarks whereby to shape
| his course. One of the most important
of these is the button which is worn by
very mandarin on the top of his hat.
Eaeh of the nine ranks of Chinese has
its particular button and the second
| degree of the first and second ranks arc
also marked by separate buttons. The
! official list is as follows:
First ranl-First degree, light cora:
red button; second degree, deep cora;
red button. Second ranl1-First de-
gree, light crimson button; second de
grce. dark crimson button. Third
rank Both. light clear blue. Fourtl
ranls-Darll Prussian blue. Fifth
Quartz, glass or crystal. Sixth
Cpa.;ue white. seventh and eigath-
-Glided, yellow or gold. Ninth-Sn-
yer or silvcr-whitc.
1t will be seen that red button in
dicates high rank. The rank in gen
eral is personal rather than oii.r.ai
fhus, for exam.p;c. a taotarship is an
Office of the third rank, and its button
is a light. clear blue. Yet many tao
tatis, if not ma Iority of the class.
are decorated with red buttons. 1t
even happens that person of the Sec
oad rank, through misfortune or poiit-
zeal vicissitudcs, will hold an Office of
the fifth or sixth rank. In such {. case
he would still wear his red button, and
in many cfiicial events would be pre-
coded by an official of dark blue or
crystal button. For this reason it is
often very difficult to tel the oi!:,-:a, |
rank of mandarins by their buttons
Nor is the difficulty lessened by the
embroidered insignia upon the wear
ing apparel. This is more elaborate
than the buttons, but, like the later.
does not discriminate between rank
and position.
To overcome the difficulty the Chi
lese resort TO several exp.-..ents. One
s She card on which is written q fu,.
itsl ement of the owners rank, degree
Ind position. Another consists of hav-
ng the same facts painted upon the
anierns with winch all chairs are pro-
ided. These can be read with equal
ase day or night. The third is used
or the information of the public and
ons;sts in having the name and all
tiles carved in large. bold characters
n long red boards, which are carried
y con.Ies. Main.Arins who have re-
eived many hohnrs will frequently
ave as many as twenty of these rt..
cards. Where an Official has retired
rom service he is Still entitled to
lace tflr-.. boards at the entrance Of
IS resiarilcc. a iourtn modc resem-
les the preceding and applies To :
inks or vessels in which mandarin =
'avels. The characters are written =
pom flags. which are fastened to the :,
aet and elsewhere in lieu Of ordinary :.
uniting When The present governor
Fo-nosa left Shanghai on the steam !,
Smith no less than thirty banners -
this class were flung to the breeze =
ON the nasts and other parts of the :.
'dL. lie CINDTOlQCTcQ lISigUldS OF
nix and position are placed upon the :
ont and bacl; of official robes. They
ust he Of the finest workmanship and .
well executed as to show the design y
nariy and accurately. The general -, rl
sign for civil officer is bird and -
r military official quadru;"r! an
al The civil list is as flaws. oi
nks and not degrees being discrlm- 49,
itrd: -
First, n manchurian crane; second,
golden pheasant; third, peacock; -.
nth, wild goose; fifth, silver o. o.,
easant; sixth, o young cgret; ~
venth. a quail; eighth, long-taiicd - -,
:; ninth, an oriole. ~
The military list runs: First, uni ~
n; second. a lion; third, leopard 20 o
nth, a tiger; fifth, back bear. ~,
tn, Il tiger cat; seventh, mott,rd ~
If; eighth, q seal; ninth, q rhinoc- ,no
'heGc insignias have been used from ~,
e immemorial, while the buttons 49,
a creation of the Manchu con-
,rors of China. 1t is singular fact