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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GreekAntiques, post: 7642738, member: 64355&quot;]Thank you, [USER=8363]@KikoBlueEyes[/USER] !&nbsp; I think what led me in this direction was a snippet from the Cleveland museum of Art:&nbsp; &quot;Rank badges (also called rank insignia or Mandarin squares) were used in China during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties to demonstrate the wearer’s rank.&nbsp; Attached to the front and back of a ceremonial robe, rank badges were woven in pairs with identical imagery. One was divided vertically up the center to attach to the front of a robe with a center opening. Rank badges are generally square or rectangular, although round examples exist. They are typically satin weave or slit tapestry weave (kesi) silk. Satin weave badges often have dark backgrounds with silk and/or metal thread embroidery. Some badges incorporate peacock feathers or beads. Late in the Qing dynasty appliqué replaced embroidery to allow for quicker production and a change in rank.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>These seemed to me to fall into the category of appliqué. (I think that is how I started my search, with the terms &quot;applique&quot; and &quot;Chinese&quot;.) But you are entirely correct, and the big hole in my assumption was the central image, which is missing.</p><p><br /></p><p>Also, I now realize that these cannot be made to be worn on the front and back of a garment, as they are mirror images.&nbsp; So they perhaps they were made to be applied to each side of a seam or opening?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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