Calligraphic tile, one of a pair

According to the rules applied to Qing officials, as someone occupied any of the nine official ranks, he was permitted to posthumously confer a promotion on their late ancestors to the same rank, and grant the same rank to certain older living relatives as well. In 1762, the Emperor Qianlong issued a decree that all officials in the top three ranks could present a memorial promotion. This pair of tiles was produced under the commission of a seventh rank official from Jiangxi province for the posthumous promotion of his ancestors. He was granted a civil-service position in the capacity as record keeper in the office of Supervision of the Household of the Heir Apparent.