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Mr. Lee - thanks very much for your reply. My picture of the bird indicating rank was not clear so I am posting a detail - you thought it was a quail.The beak is long and pointed (still a little difficult against the dark background) . Does the rank (5th,6th etc. relate to the "importance" of the painting ? Thanks.
Jeff

As far as I know, the crane is a rank badge for a scholar official. A tiger would symbolize a military official in contrast. The number of cranes is also important in determing the official's rank; one being the lowest.

I hope this is helpful. I'm in Korean art, and the symbolism is similar here too.

Sincerely,

Moonjung

Well, this looks like a crane to me, and she has just gone up in the ranking significantly to the first rank of civil official. There are several ranks used in the insignia
1.crane
2.golden pheasant
3.malay peacock
5.silver pheasant
6.lesser egret
7.mandarin duck
8.quail
9.paradise flycatcher

for military oficials
1.Qilin (unicorm dragon)
3.leopard
4. tiger
5.bear
6/7. tiger cat

for musicians
oriole

These are bestowed on the official and his wife has the right to wear the insignia as well. In some cases of higher rank the right may be bestowed on ancestors posthumously, allowing ancestor portraits to be redone with the new rank. With this style of ancestor portrait, the sitter may not be the real ancestor portrayed, or the facial features may be idealised, rather than portrait. The ancestor may have been dead for centuries.

AML
Asian Art Research

PS. Mr. Moonjung's mention of the Korean system is slightly different from the Qing period standard, although earlier Ming systems of rank badges in some cases used the number of fauna as a significance of rank. In the QIng form the animal or bird alone signifies the ranking.

AML

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