the.com/finial
the tiny crown that turns a humble post into a statement of intent
means A decorative ornament fixed to the top of a post, gable, lamp, curtain rod, or piece of furniture, crowning the highest point.
from From Latin 'finis,' meaning 'end' or 'boundary' — the same root that gives us 'finish' and 'final.' A finial is quite literally the thing that marks where something ends, so the carved knob atop a spire or the brass pineapple on a bedpost is, etymologically, just a fancy way of saying 'the end is here.'
- roof royalty
- Tops spires, gables, and curtain rods alike
- name origin
- From Latin finis, meaning end
- pineapple craze
- Carved pineapple finials once signaled wealth and welcome
- bedpost duty
- Often the only part anyone actually touches
- function plus
- Caps and protects joints from water damage
for instance
washington monument capstone — aluminum pyramid placed atop the monument in 1884, weighing 100 ounces
saint paul's cathedral cross — gilded bronze finial crowning christopher wren's london cathedral completed in 1710