Feather holder which once held peacock feathers and was attached to the top of the hat of a mandarin of certain rank. It was originally, most probably, white but changed color during a fire. Fires were very common in the old days with wooden houses throughout the villages and cities. We found this object on a street market in Beijing in 1993. It dates from the middle of the Qing period (1644 - 1912). Length 6.5 cm. Diameter 1.5 cm. Weight 22.6 grams.