Rank badge with qilin, silk and metallic thread embroidery on plain-weave silk patterned in gauze, by an unknown artist, China, late 17th century China.
This embroidered rank badge is from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was used to indicate military rank. Badges with a qilin, a Chinese mythological creature, were worn by high-ranking military officers. It is thought that the variation in appearance of the qilin on rank badge designs, even from the same period, is because they were individually tailored at the wearer's expense.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Artist, U. (2024, May 21). Rank Badge with Qilin (Late 17th Century). World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18962/rank-badge-with-qilin-late-17th-century/
Chicago Style
Artist, Unknown. "Rank Badge with Qilin (Late 17th Century)." World History Encyclopedia, May 21, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18962/rank-badge-with-qilin-late-17th-century/.
MLA Style
Artist, Unknown. "Rank Badge with Qilin (Late 17th Century)." World History Encyclopedia, 21 May 2024, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18962/rank-badge-with-qilin-late-17th-century/.
