These finials were made for a customer to be added to the tops of his stairway newels. The old (originals) are the stained finials. The new finials are the lighter colored ones. The wood species is red oak. They came out quite nice though I never got to see the finished product. (So many of my customers seem to forget to send me the finished pictures) The smaller "buttons" to the far left is called a "drop".  These were to be attached to the newel bottoms where the bottoms were exposed.