Rank Badge with Silver Pheasant

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The silver pheasant corresponds to the fifth civil rank. Conventionally in rank badges, the silver pheasant is represented in white with five serrated tail feathers. Occasionally the usual five are augmented with some thin parallel plumes, here shown in red, shading to pink and white. The gold of the waves is rendered in couching, the most common technique for embroidering with gold thread. In couching, the gold thread is laid on the surface and affixed to the foundation fabric with occasional stitches that do not obscure the gold.

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