Finial

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Latin: finis, end)[1] or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.[2]

In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the apex of a dome, spire, tower, roof, or gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure.[3] A finial is typically carved in stone. Where there are several such elements they may be called pinnacles. The very top of a finial can be a floral or foliated element called a bouquet.[4]

Smaller finials in materials such as metal or wood are used as a decorative ornament on the tops or ends of poles or rods such as tent-poles or

pull chain (such as for a ceiling fan or a lamp
) is also known as a finial.

In architecture

On roofs

Decorative roof-finials are a common feature of Malaysian religious and residential architecture.[5] In Malacca, Malaysia, there are 38 mosques with traditional roof finials, with layered and crown-shaped designs, which are known as Makhota Atap Masjid.[5] On mosques built after the 20th century, these finials have been replaced by "bulbous domes".[5] Other terms for roof finials include: Tunjuk Langit and Buah Buton (East Coast) as well as Buah Gutung (Kelantan and Terengganu).[5] The Makhota Atap Masjid finials are made of mixed concrete, and the Buah Buton are made of wood.[5]

In

imperial palace.[6]

In Java and Bali, a rooftop finial is known as mustaka or kemuncak.

In Thailand finials feature on domestic and religious buildings.[7] Hti is a kind of finial found on Burmese Buddhist temples and pagodas. On Buddhist stupas, the layered umbrella (Skt. chhatra; Pali: chhatta) tiers have cosmological significance as representing the realms of heavens or the trunk of a cosmic tree.[8] Even the stupa itself (comparatively smaller) can be a finial to a Stupa or other Buddhist religious structure.

The

kalasha is a finial on Hindu temples.[9] In the Dravidian style of temple architecture, the kalasha is placed on top of a dome with an inverted lotus flower shape in between.[10] There may also be lotus petals at the top, before the kalasha narrows to a single point, or bindu.[10]

There are two guldastas, or finials, per facade at Humayun's Tomb.[11]

Finials are decorative elements in a variety of American domestic

Roof finials can be made from a variety of materials including clay, metal, or wood.

A

witches on broomsticks from landing locally.[13]

Flagpoles

A "ball-style" finial is often mounted to the top of a stationary flagpole.[14] The United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard employ a variety of different finials depending on the flag in question, the Marines and Coast Guard deferring to the Navy's protocols.[15]

On furniture

Bed posts and curtain rods

Public garden (park) railings often end in finials, and wooden posts tend to have turned wood finials. Turned wood finials are used on various pieces of furniture.[16] While the purpose of finials on bed posts is mostly decorative,[17] they serve a purpose on curtain rods, providing a way to keep a curtain from slipping off the end of a straight rod.

Curtain rod finials can be seen to act much like a barometer of public taste. Many designs hark back to the

Neogothic of architectural finials, while other contemporary finials reflect minimalist, Art Nouveau
, and other traditional styles of decor. The use of different materials is as wide as the range of designs with brass, stainless steel, various woods, and aluminum being employed with a variety of finishes such as 'satin steel' and 'antique brass'. The durability, strength, and machinability of modern alloys have lent themselves to increasingly intricate and dazzling designs.

Use as headgear

During the various

dynasties in China, a finial was worn on the tops of the hats civil or military officials wore during formal court ceremonies.[18][19] The finial was changed to a knob for other daily usage (including semi-formal ceremonies). The Pickelhaube is a Central European military helmet with a finial topped by a spike.[20]

Gallery

  • Stone finial at Aachen City Hall
    Stone finial at
    Aachen City Hall
  • Finial Illustration by Viollet-le-Duc, 1856
    Finial Illustration by
    Viollet-le-Duc
    , 1856
  • Finials used to decorate the top ends of the rollers of a Torah scroll
    Finials used to decorate the top ends of the rollers of a Torah scroll
  • Yemenite Torah case with finials
    Yemenite Torah case with finials
  • French Imperial Eagle of a regiment of the Grande Armée
  • Finial shaped like a pineapple
    Finial shaped like a pineapple
  • Architectural decorations
    Architectural decorations
  • Greek and Cypriot flags being flown on flagpoles with cross finials in front of a church, Paphos.
    Greek and Cypriot flags being flown on flagpoles with cross finials in front of a church, Paphos.
  • The flagpole on Buckingham Palace, London, here flying the Royal Standard, has a crown-shaped finial.
    The flagpole on Buckingham Palace, London, here flying the Royal Standard, has a crown-shaped finial.
  • A Balinese kemuncak on top of a thatched roof of a Balinese temple pavilion.
    A Balinese kemuncak on top of a thatched roof of a Balinese temple pavilion.
  • Bronze finial for a nomad's tent-pole, Ordos culture, 6th–5th century, Mongolia
    Bronze finial for a nomad's tent-pole, Ordos culture, 6th–5th century, Mongolia
  • photograph of the pinnacle of the Mahabodhi temple at the top of a truncated pyramid with a gold metal cone-shaped finial at the top, background is a clear blue sky
    The stupa finial on top of the Mahabodhi Temple.
  • A Baroque finial on the top of the first pillar of some stairs from Palais Landauer (Ellingen, Germany)
    A Baroque finial on the top of the first pillar of some stairs from Palais Landauer (Ellingen, Germany)
  • Pineapple finial atop corner post of an ornate metal stair railing, Town Hall, Birkenhead, England
    Pineapple finial atop corner post of an ornate metal stair railing, Town Hall, Birkenhead, England

See also

References

  1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Finial" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 376.
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  13. ^ Weiss, Robinne (6 June 2016). "A Fondness for Finials". Retrieved 11 July 2023. Folklore in the eastern U.S. suggests that finial posts were not just attractive, but also prevented witches from landing their broomsticks on the roof.
  14. ^ Koppes, Wayne F.; Roehm, Jack M., eds. (1980). Metal Flagpole Manual. Chicago, Illinois: National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers. p. 21.
  15. ^ Army Regulation 840-10 Flags, Guidons, Streamers, Tabards, and Automobile and Aircraft Plates, Chapter 8 "Flagstaffs and Flagstaff Heads (Finials)", § 8-2, 1 November 1998 Archived 7 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
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  18. ^ "Hat finial, China". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
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  20. OCLC 1017095569.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
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External links

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