University of Alberta Museums Search

Rank badges, always made in pairs, were placed on the front and back of surcoats in order to communicate their wearer’s rank during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911). Different motifs were regulated by the imperial court, including bird motifs used only for civil officials, while beasts were used for military officials. The hierarchy of ranks within these categories was represented by specific birds and beasts.

This rank badge displays a mandarin duck, representing a seventh rank civil official. In the Ming Dynasty, the birds on rank badges were often presented in pairs in an upper and lower position. Later, in the Qing Dynasty, only one bird or beast was seen on rank badges. Early Qing badges used gold-wrapped thread embroidered in dense rows, carefully outlining each motif until the background was completely filled. The bird is perched on a scholar's rock, which is a particularly-shaped rock appreciated by the literati and found in Chinese gardens. The rock is stitched with peacock-feather twisted thread.