Historical Treasures

The Ancestor of The Modern Passport China, 13th Century

A Mongolian Paiza

Apaiza (also known as a gerege) was a tablet and diplomatic passport issued as a mark of authority to officials or important guests, notably Marco Polo, to ensure their safe passage throughout the Mongol Empire. Derived from ‘páizi’, the Chinese word for both ‘plate’ and ‘sign,’ a paiza also allowed the holder to use postal stations, request food, lodgings and bodyguards during their journey and even gave permission for their expenses to be paid.

Although Genghis Khan is often credited with developing the paiza, they were actually based on similar items used by the earlier Liao dynasty in Northern China, which were typically oblong in shape. However, round versions such as this one were made during the Yuan dynasty, established by Kublai Khan following his successful conquest of China. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where this particular paiza is currently held, it bears the ominous inscription “By the strength of Eternal Heaven, an edict of the Emperor (Khan). He who has no respect shall be guilty,” written in Phags-pa script.

Paizas could be made from wood, iron, copper, bronze, silver and gold, depending on whom it was intended for. For example, paizas featuring raised gold characters would be issued to messengers tasked with carrying urgent military orders from the court, while ones made from lesser materials would be given to officers in the provinces – the inscriptions that featured on these would usually be written in more than one language.

Made from cast iron and inlaid with silver, paizas such as this one would have been given to senior commanding officers and, interestingly, silver inlay on iron was very rarely used in Chinese metalwork before the start of the Mongol period.

There are a few contemporary descriptions of paizas that survive today, the most notable from Marco Polo, who described the paiza given to him by Kublai, which allowed him to travel the Silk Road under the Khan’s protection.

Paizas were eventually adopted by

Europeans and as a result, they are often cited as the ancestor to the modern passports.

Stamp of authority Legendary Creature the Written Word travel Friendly This particular paiza is double-sided and the inscription is inverted on the other side. Since the characters are raised, it could be used to stamp documents if needed and therefore likely to have been given to a senior military officer. There is a Tibetan style lion mask head on the handle at the top of the paiza, which looks similar to a kirtimukha, a motif that originated in India and can be found in both South and Southeast Asian architecture. A paiza made from cast iron like this one would have been very heavy; however, the ring on the top meant that it could be attached to a belt or even worn around the neck with a cord. The script used on this Paiza was named after its inventor, Phakpa, a Tibetan monk and scholar who was a close advisor of Kublai Khan during the 13th century.

Kublai Khan giving Marco Polo and his brother a gold paiza