Rank Badge with Wild Goose
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Silk and metallic thread embroidery on silk satin
Dimensions
Overall: 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (24.1 x 24.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William Christian Paul, 1929
Accession Number
30.75.874
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite rank badge, embroidered with a majestic wild goose, hails from 18th-century China during Qing dynasty (16441911). Square in shape at 9½ x 9½ inches, it was designed to be sewn onto the chest or back of an official's robe, serving as a visible marker of status in the rigid imperial bureaucracy. The wild goose motif specifically denoted a fourth-rank civil official symbolizing ambition and seasonal migration—qualities admired in Confucian scholars who rose through rigorous examinations. Crafted from silk satin with silk and metallic threads, the badge showcases the pinnacle of Qi...