Chow-ta-zhin（喬大人）, a quan, or mandarin, who was entrusted with the care of the british embassy to china in 1793. The blue ball on his round cap with a peacock feather, indicates his rank. He is attired in full court dress, being a loose gown of silk or satin, covering an under-vest richly embroidered in silk of vivid colors; the square badge on his breast is of rich embroidery, and contains the figure of an imaginary bird, which denotes the wearer to be a mandarin of letters (a tiger on the badge would show the person to be in a military capacity). The beads worn around the neck are of coral, agate, or perfumed wood, exquisitely carved. In his hand chow-ta-zhin holds a paper relative to the embassy's affairs. Drawing by william alexander, draughtsman of the macartney embassy. Image taken from the costume of china, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings, published in london in 1805. Date: circa 1800.
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