Rank Badge with Crane

Rank badges, or Mandarin squares, showed an official’s rank at court in Ming and Qing China: birds for civil officials, animals for military ones, and a crane, as here, for a first-rank civil official. Embroidered in silk during the Qianlong reign (1736–95), the badge shows the universe as a landscape with a central creature among clouds, facing the sun, which stood for the emperor and showed the official’s loyalty to him.

Printed on 200 gsm museum-quality matte paper from the museum’s high-resolution open-access image, with a white border so nothing of the original is cropped. Available from A4 up to 70 × 100 cm, or as a digital download to print yourself.

See it at the museum

Prints are made to order in the EU and ship in 2–5 working days, free to every EU country. Digital downloads are available immediately after payment from your order confirmation and your account. Delivery details.

Unused prints can be returned within 14 days of delivery. Digital downloads cannot be returned once downloaded, but faulty files are always replaced. Returns.