This pair of rank badges belonged to Njoo Swie Lian (1875–1930), the last Kapitan Cina (leader of the Chinese community) of Madiun, Java. Like their counterparts in the Straits Settlements, many political, economic, and social elites in the Dutch East Indies purchased Qing official titles to strengthen their claims to leadership and increase their social prestige. An official title permitted the holder to dress in the ceremonial garments of a Qing official, which included a pair of rank badges. The badge with the seam would have been attached to the front of an official’s surcoat, the other to the back.
