Rank Badge (buzi)
Unknown Artist
1850–99
Medium
silk and metal thread; slit tapestry weave (kesi)
Dimensions
29.5 × 31.3 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1916.1329
About this artwork
Rank badges (also called rank insignia or Mandarin squares) were used in China during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties to demonstrate the wearer’s rank. In 1391 new clothing regulations directed court officials to wear decorative squares indicating their rank—birds for civil officials and animals for military officials. During the Qing dynasty rank badge design was regulated, and certain creatures were associated with specific ranks. Qing badges depict a representation of the ...