A larger whole

The queue presented here is part of a larger set of items brought back by J.J.M. de Groot in 1896. The complete set consists of robes, a hat, a belt, and boots. De Groot brought a complete set of official Mandarin clothing back to the Netherlands.

It is difficult to link the outfit back to a person. Perhaps De Groot managed to obtain it from a retired official, or perhaps it is a replica used for plays.

Those who returned from abroad, such as diplomats serving the Qing court, may have also had similar sets. Lu Zhengxiang (1871-1949), for instance, served as a diplomat in Europe and described his experiences of returning to the Qing court:

Two years later, returning to China, instead of going immediately to Pekin, I stopped at Tien-Tsin and from there informed the Minister for Foreign Affairs that I would have to remain six months in that city before I should be able to present myself in the capital, since I had cut off my queue and that time was necessary for it to grow again. The Minister replied that he authorised me to present myself at the Department without wearing a queue, but that he asked me, for the only visits that I would have to make, to the Prince Regent and to the Prime Minister, Prince K’ing, to wear a false one. The question of principle being conceded, I did not insist any more, and for those two visits I submitted myself voluntarily to what was not more than a formality.Lou Tseng-Tsiang, Mijn Roeping: Herinneringen en Gedachten (Amsterdam: De Kinkhoren, 1946).

The uniform De Groot brought back was, however, not that of a diplomat. The artwork in the center of this outer coat represents the rank of the owner: in this case, it most resembles that of a great egret. Its beautiful wedged tail makes it most recognizable as an egret, and not as the other birds that represent other ranks, such as the crane or pheasant. Susan Michelle Dine, 'Qing-dynasty rank badges at the University of Michigan' The egret was used for a sixth rank civil official. De Groot thus managed to get his hands on a full Mandarin outfit.

What about our queue then? A queue was definitely part of the attire at the time, and this one might have been sold together with the outfit. Perhaps De Groot also got his hands on a fake queue to complete the look, since we now know that fake queues were definitely for sale.