Antique order Chinese Hat Finial Qing Dynasty

This Qing Dynasty hat ornament was worn on the top of the crown of the hat to indicate rank. The finial is usually a semi-precious stone or glass bead surrounded by a gilt or filigree setting. The color of the bead indicated a specific title, office held, or honorific.

In this case, the bead is Peking glass with a sawtooth gilt setting.

It is almost 1" in length and the bead is 3/4" d.

It dates from the Ching Dynasty and is over 100 years old.

The last image above is from the Catalogue of the Exhibition of Ching Dynasty Costume Accessories, published by the National Palace Museum, (Taipei) nd, page 106 and shows hat finials in the Palace Museum collection.

I purchased this item in China in 1994.

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