Rank Badge with Peacock

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The peacock insignia was worn by Qing-dynasty civil officials of the third rank. Originally, this sumptuous badge appears to have had a split down the center, suggesting that it was for the front of an official's surcoat, which would have opened down the middle. Rank badges for the back of the surcoat have no such split. Fittingly, peacock-feather thread, now very worn, was used in the embroidery of the peacock's tail and also for the perforated rock in the waves below.

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