A Qing dynasty Mandarin official’s hat finial/button of white opaque glass sphere set in a filigree mount with button designs.

Often referred to as 'mandarin buttons' in the West, hat finials like this were used by Qing dynasty officials and the nobility to distinguish the ruling elite and government from the general population. The colour and shape of the finial depended on the wearer’s rank. The opaque white colour and round shape of this finial signal that the owner was a member of the sixth (6th) rank.