Show CHINESE ETIQUETTE DELICATE WORK FOR A MONGOLIAN MASTER OF ceremonies complicated system of button banner and coat of arm are vied to designate ocea toned by the purchase of insignias nothing is more complicated than chinese etiquette said dr edward bedaloe ex consul to amoy A master of dearett and burke is a novice beside a celestial master of ceremonies nevertheless the system is definite if elaborate and ho has many official landmarks whereby to shape his course one of tho most important of these is the button which is worn by every mandarin on the top of his hat each of the nine ranks has its particular button and the second degree of the first and second ranks are also marked by separate buttons the official list is as follows first kank first degree light coral red button second decree deep coral red button second Rank First degree light crimson button second decree dark crimson button third hank bobb light clear blue fourth Rank Dark prussian fifth quartz glass or crystal sixth opaque white seventh yellow or gold ninth silver or allver white it will be been that a red button indicates high rank the rank ia general is personal rather than official thus for example a is an office of the third rank and its button is a light clear blue yet many tao it not a majority of the class are decorated with red buttons it oven happens that a person of the second rank through misfortune or political vicissitudes will hold an office of the fifth or sixth rank in such a case ho would still wear bis red button and in many official events would be preceded by an official of a dark blue or crystal button for this reason it ie often very difficult to tell tho official rank of mandarins by their buttons nor is the difficulty lessened by the embroidered insignia upon the wearing apparel this is more elaborate than the buttons but like the latter does not discriminate between rank and position to overcome the difficulty the chinese resort to several expedients one is the card on which is written a full statement of tho owners rank degree and position such a card in english might read smith baronet judge of session devon another consists of having the same facts painted upon the lanterns with which all chairs are provided these can be read with equal ease day or night the third is used for the information of the public and consists in having the namo and all titles carved in large bold characters on long red boards which are carried by coolies mandarins who have received many honors will frequently have many as 20 of these red boards where an official haa retired from service he ia still en titled to place these boards at the entrance of his residence A fourth mode resembles the preceding and applies to junks or vessels in which a mandarin travels the characters are written upon flags which aro fastened to the mast and elsewhere in lien of ordinary bunting when the present governor of formosa left shanghai on tho steamer smith no less than 30 banners of this class were flung to the breeze from the masts and other parts of the boat the embroidered insignias of rank and position are placed upon the front and back of official robes they must be of the finest workmanship and so well executed as to bhoj the design clearly and accurately the general design for civil officer is a bird and for a military official a quadruped animal tho civil list is as follows ranks and not degree being discriminated firsta crane seconda colden pheasant third peacock fourth A wild goose fifthe allver pheasant sixth A young egret seventh A quail eighth A lone lay ninth an oriole abo military list runs firsta unicorn seconda hon third A leopard fourth A ditth A black bear sixth A tiger cat seventh A mottled bear Eight hA seal ninth A rhinoceros these insignias have been used from time immemorial while the buttons are creation of conquerors of china it is a singular fact that both the and tho rhinoceros anro strangers to the latter country the limit of their habitat seems to be alie ganges and to have been since the tertiary period the knowledge of these animals by abo chinese was acquired long before the christian era when largo fleets of junks naval or commercial went from canton to nearly every port in hindmo etan and often brought back these and other wild beasts alive A cause of confusion in the use of buttons and insignias lies in the ever increasing power of wealth to secure these honors by originally they meant pedigree military heroism generalship or intellectual ability literary culture or eminent philanthropy their ownership indicated distinction of some kind to a high degree this is so no longer ambitious officials are permitted to wear them in high honorary ranks in canton and bankow several magistrates of the seventh rank have purchased the right and now wear light blue buttons one a very rich cantonese ancon reflects upon the decadence of the lines by using as a button a magnificent eap phile worth a kings ransom even private citizens aro allowed to gratify their vanity in this manner A wealthy tea taster in kamsui whose education would not allow him to become an official of tho lowest class secured tho privilege of wearing a dark bauo button paying a of money to the howera that be he ie said to have paid down for the bauble washington poet |