Rank Badge with Mallow Flower

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The mallow flower on this badge was the insignia of civil officials in the Sacred Music Department of the Qing government who performed slow rhythmic dances at court rituals. This type of badge appears in the Huang chao li qi tu shi, an illustrated set of imperial regulations from 1759.

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