Two Chinese silk military badges for the surcoat of officials, 19th century. Photo Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions.

28x26cm. A pair of Chinese rank badges of the military of the second rank, 19th century, embroidered with a lion surrounded by the Eight Buddhist emblems amid scrolling clouds embroidered in silk and outlined in gilded thread, above a turbulent sea with the stripes couched in gilt and silver thread. Estimate £1,000-1,500

Military rank badges are much rarer than their civil counterpart as fewer were issued as military were a smaller elite than the civil arm and when the Qing Dynasty was overturned, many of these badges were destroyed to protect their owners. 

For a similar example see Jackson, Beverly (2000), Ladder to the clouds.

清十九 彩绣狮子二品补子一对

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions. Chinese Ceramics and Asian Works of Art. 17th May 2014. http://www.dreweatts.com/