The pattern for eighth-rank officials was a partridge. Because the Chinese pronunciation of partridge (An Chun) was similar to the Chinese phrase “Ping An”,meaning safety，officials used auspicious partridge as their rank patches.
The pattern for ninth-rank officials was a long-tailed flycatcher, symbolizing power and wealth.
Military officials’ rank patches
Military officers loved to use wild beasts as their rank patches, showing off their dignified manners
From first-rank to ninth-rank officers, the patterns for their rank patches were respectively unicorn, lion, leopard, tiger, bear, young tiger, rhinoceros and sea horse.
As they were related to official positions in Ming and Qing dynasties, rank patches could not be made in large quantities, due to restriction in the royal court. Therefore, rank patches show high values in researches of history and handicraft of that time.
By Feng Hui
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