Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Volume 4, Utensils

original: 三才圖會 器用四卷 (Sāncái Túhuì, Qìyòng Sìjuǎn)

The Erya the oldest surviving Chinese dictionary, dating back to the 3rd century BCE states that the Dao a feathered banner; original: 翿 is a type of Dao-standard a large ritual banner; original: 纛. The scholar Guo Pu a famous Jin Dynasty commentator (276–324 AD) believed these were the feather-canopied banners original: 羽葆幢 (yǔ bǎo chuáng) seen in the ritual dances of his time, which were set up by the dancers to provide a sense of grace and aesthetic form.

The Standard

original: 旌 (Jīng)

The Ni-xia a specific style of ancient banner; original: 旎夏 is a type of Great Standard. When dancers perform in ranks and files, these large banners are used as markers to keep their lines organized and identifiable. During the Great Archery Ritual a formal state ceremony used to select officials based on their skill and character, the banner is raised to signal the musical tone of Gong the first note of the Chinese pentatonic scale, associated with the Emperor and lowered to signal the tone of Shang the second note, associated with ministers.

The Signal Pole

original: 節 (Jié)

The Erya states: "Harmonious music is referred to as Jie meaning 'measure' or 'regulation'." Just as the sound of music uses drums to regulate the rhythm, the visual form of the dance uses specific decorative poles to regulate the movements. In the ritual dances of previous dynasties, there were typically two people assigned to hold these signal poles to guide the troupe.

The Command Flag

original: 麾 (Huī)