Chinese Mandarin official's summer court hat composed of a conical bamboo frame covered in a woven bamboo fiber netting placed over silk gauze. A gold brocade band extends around the rim and red silk cord fringe covers the crown and hangs close to the edge of the rim. A gilt metal hat finial with shou (longevity) symbol and clear blue glass button indicates it was worn by an official of the third rank. The hat is lined in red silk gauze and has a stiffened sweatband sewn inside. 8 1/2” high x 11 1/2” diameter. Circa 1880. Very good overall condition. An illustration of an official wearing this type of hat can be found on page 16 (plate 4) of “Chinese Dress” by Verity Wilson, Victoria and Albert Museum. An illustration of the hat itself is on plate 11 of the same text. A color illustration of a similar hat, together with a full description, can also be found on page 36-38 of “A Collector’s Guide to Chinese Dress Accessories” by Valery Garrett. These official hats are also illustrated and described on pages 98-100 of “Imperial Wardrobe” by Gary Dickinson and Linda Wrigglesworth. From the lifetime Asian art collection of a 97-year-old Scottsdale, Arizona resident. According to the son and daughter, their parents acquired the bulk of their collection in St. Paul, Minnesota and Chicago in the 1950s and early 1960s.