Mandarin square
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A mandarin square is a large embroidered badge sewn onto the surcoat of an official in imperial China. The animal-insignia inside the square indicates the rank of the official that wore it.
During the Qing Dynasty the Dragon in various poses were reserved for the royalty and nobility. Civil officials' insignias were birds while militiary officers' were beasts.
| Gr. | Civil | Military |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Crane | Qilin |
| 2 | Golden Pheasant | Lion of India |
| 3 | Peacock | North China Panther (Felis Fontanierii) |
| 4 | Wild Goose | Tiger of Manchuria |
| 5 | Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) | Asiatic Black Bear |
| 6 | Eastern Egret (Egretta alba) | Giant Panda |
| 7 | Mandarin Duck | Tiger Cat |
| 8 | Quail | Seal |
| 9 | Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) | Rhinoceros |
| etc | Clouds and Sun | none |
The handiwork of the embroidery on the squares are very delicate and colourful.
Another piece of wardrobe Qing bureaucrats wore was the Manchu official headwear.