Rank Badge with Egret

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The egret corresponds to the sixth civil rank. Tapestry-woven (kesi) in colorful silk with gold thread for the background, this rank badge shows the egret surrounded with waves, rocks, clouds, bats, and flowering plants, including a peach tree, connoting longevity. Below the waves is a stylized water pattern (li shui), which first began to appear on rank badges in the eighteenth century.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art