Sign of Honor

Signs of honor were presented as a gesture of gratitude to individuals who had bettered their community or in acknowledge of a respected person’s birthday. The sign would have been hung in the individual's personal studio or prominently displayed in an entrance hall. Carved of northern elmwood (yumu) with a richly aged lacquer finish, this 19th-century sign of honor describes in subtly gilt characters 'a person of extraordinary integrity, one who never spoke poorly of others or said negative things.'