The fish-emblem pouch was the insignia of office worn by officials in the Tang and Song dynasties. It served t…
The fish-emblem pouch was the insignia of office worn by officials in the Tang and Song dynasties. It served to confirm identity, mark rank, and hold small personal items. In the Tang, officials carried a pair of fish tokens inside it, one kept at the gate, the other on their person. By the Song, the token system had been abolished, and fish-shaped ornaments in gold or silver, worn from the belt, had become the visible mark of status.