A Qing dynasty Mandarin official’s hat finial/button with a chased gilt brass sphere set in a gilt mount with petal 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 gold colour and chased decoration of this finial signal that the owner was a member of the eighth (8th) rank.