Beautiful very fine embroidered Mandarin square (rank badge). The peacock (3rd rank) is standing on the rocks in water and is looking to the left towards the sun. The rank badge is halved down the middle, as one half was worn on each side of the coat. Dimensions: 32/32 cm Mandarin squares are woven or embroidered square emblems that served as rank badges on the robes of the Chinese officials of the early Ming dynasty until the end of the Qing dynasty (1391-1912). Civil dignitaries carried bird species such as cranes, peacocks etc. Military ranks have included lions, tigers etc. From 1652, the wives of Qing officials also had to wear their husband's emblem. From the middle of the 18th century, the bird on the wives' badges looked in the opposite direction.