A SET OF BRONZE TALLYS FOR THE IMPERIAL CHEF Early Ming dynasty

A SET OF BRONZE TALLYS FOR THE IMPERIAL CHEF
Early Ming dynasty
Heavily cast in two matching halves each with complimentary fish-shaped notches enclosing a finely incised four-character mark on the back, on the front a four-line inscription within the raised border, the circular plaque with an oval perforation to the lobed flange on the top-end for suspension, inscribed across the sides a five-character numbering system, the bronze roughly finished with mottled black and green patination throughout; together with a half tally of the same design.
4 1/2in (11.5cm) length
Footnotes:
明初 皇城厨子銅腰牌一組

The inscription on the front may be read as: 凡遇直宿者懸帶此牌出皇城四門不用 廚子 and may be loosely translated as 'the person who wears this tally may pass the four doors of the imperial palace - chef.' The inscription on the interior between the fish may be read as: x x 主製 (made by x x zhu). The inscription on the side written across the two tallies may be read as: 天奉拾伍號 (number fifteen of Tian Feng).

Bronze tallies of this type were used for security control of the Ming Imperial Palace in Nanjing. The chef wears one-half of the tally at their waist, and when required, matching the other half which would be held by the palace guard. Compare, for example, a military tally of this form excavated from the Ming palace site in Nanjing, now in the collection of the National Museum, China, illustrated on the museum's website.