Finial

As an umbrella jewelry is known sculptures, carvings, flags and other structures whose sole purpose or whose secondary purpose is to provide a roof, in particular the First to decorate and embellish.

The most common place for roof jewelry is the peak of the front gable. There mounted jewelry is therefore also known as gable jewelry.

Had to part and has the roof decorations a religious, magical or symbolic meaning, is thus expressed, for example, devotion to a higher being or avert damage. Typical roof decorations on Christian churches have crosses and weather vanes. Minarets of mosques are sometimes decorated with crescents on the roof top. Lions and dragons are a common motif in Chinese roofs.

In many cases, especially since the Baroque is the roof decorations also representative purposes.

Depending on the building type, time and region predominated certain motifs, shapes and types.

Previously roof decorations

In Germanic cultural area two boards were partially crossed at the intersection of the roof ridge and gable whose roof superior ends were designed as animal heads. In the area of the tribe of the Saxons ruled crossed horse heads before as a motive. Today, this type of roof and gable jewelry is still partially maintained in Lower Saxony and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Gothic: Gable flowers

Especially since the Gothic is often found as a top end on top of the gable vegetable ornamental ornaments that gable Flower, First flower or finial are called.

Baroque

Reached its climax in the use of roof decorations in the baroque. Typical motifs are metal flags and balls. But also complicated motives such as eagles, unicorn or guild signs occur.

Modern

After roofs extended period of time were carried out unadorned, roof jewelry comes in more recent times with single family frequently again. After the site of attachment of the roof jewelry can distinguish between several types.

Ridge of the roof

Probably the most common and most traditional mounting location for a roof figure is the roof ridge. Typical motifs are flags, taps, wind direction sensor, sleepwalker, witches, cats, owls, and dragons. The figures are often made for reasons of weight of resin and secured by a hole in the ridge tiles. In general, the figure is glued reasons of safety with synthetic resin with the Dachstein.

Roof surface

On the roof slope is fixed by screwing and gluing with a tile roof of jewelry. Most often you will find here the so-called roof sliders in the form of the sleepwalker.

Other locations

As attachment sites for jewelry items to offer, among other things, the gutters ( for birds, cats, etc. ) of the First degree or the downpipe.

Gallery

First figure " Rooster"

Crossed horse heads

Baroque roof decorations

A microscope ( with lightning rods ) on the tower of the Institute of Virology in Strasbourg / Alsace