Court Belts of the Zhenguo Gong

A belt for formal ceremonies

The *zhenguo gong* court belt (*chaodai*) formed part of the Qing full court-dress ensemble for a titled imperial-clan duke. The noble rank stood below *beizi* and above *fuguo gong*; it was a hereditary or conferred status, not by itself evidence that the wearer held executive or military office. A court belt was distinct from the belt accompanying auspicious clothing and from ordinary waistwear. Its materials and ornaments were regulated as visible expressions of rank.

The *Illustrated Regulations for the Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court*, juan 4, specifies a golden-yellow court belt for the *zhenguo gong* with four square jade plaques mounted in gold, each decorated with a cat's-eye gemstone. The same provision expressly extends to the *fuguo gong*. The term “cat's-eye” refers to a gem exhibiting a particular optical appearance; it does not establish the geological source of every stone in a surviving example.

Material and documentary interpretation

The configuration of square plaques, gemstones, and belt color provided a recognizable courtly appearance. Other imperial-clan ranks, including *beizi*, could have different jeweled prescriptions. These distinctions illustrate how court attire translated noble hierarchy into material forms. The historical regulation should be used as a source for prescribed dress, while actual objects require separate authentication and study of their construction, provenance, and later alterations.

Related encyclopedia entry: Rank-Badge Overcoats of the Zhenguo Gong.

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