A patch patterned with golden pheasants for the second-rank civil officials

Veiled design patterns were used on most official robes of the early Tang Dynasty(618-907). However, when Wu Zetian, China's first and only empress, came to power, she designated a new type of official clothing named "embroidered robe". Various design patterns were embroidered onto the robes of different official ranks. Usually, birds were embroidered on the civil officials'robes and beasts on those of military officers.

These patterns, which were used to signal official ranks, were later developed into patches by the Ming and Qing dynasties. Patches embroidered or woven with spun gold and colored threads were attached to the front and back parts of the official robes, which would enable others to know the wearers' rank at first sight. Ming Dynasty's patches were about 40centimeter(cm)2 while those of the Qing Dynasty were only 30 cm2.

A patch patterned with lions for the second-rank military officers

Beginning in 1393 of the Ming Dynasty (the 26th year of the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor), all court officials and officers, regardless of their ranks, had to dress themselves in costumes with patches on their chests and backs, which indicated their official court ranks. Borrowing from the Tang Dynasty, patches with patterns of birds were used on the civil officials' robes, while those with patterns of beasts were employed on military officers' robes. Such patch has been considered the most characteristic of the Ming's official clothing.

Concerning civil officials of the Ming Dynasty, the patches patterned with red-crowned cranes, golden pheasants, peacocks, geese, silver pheasants, egrets, water birds (resembling mandarin ducks or drakes), yellow rocs (a legendary and huge bird in the East), quails, and long-tailed fly catchers were used on the robes of first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and below-ninth-rank officials, respectively. As for judges, their robes were often embroidered with patches with the pattern of ancient goats that reputedly would gore a guilty person in court.