Man's Rank Badge Possibly 1644 - 1911

print, weaving, textile, paper

organic

print

pattern

asian-art

weaving

landscape

textile

figuration

paper

form

organic pattern

geometric

orientalism

geometric-abstraction

costume

china

decorative-art

miniature

This circular "Man's Rank Badge" is a Manchu embroidery dating from possibly between 1644 and 1911. The circular embroidery features a blue dragon with red accents and a golden background, all rendered in meticulous detail. The dragon is depicted in a dynamic pose against a background of swirling clouds and waves, symbolic of power and authority. The badge, now part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection, would have been worn to denote the wearer's rank within the Manchu Qing dynasty.