Épi de faîtage

Finial finial - 18th or 19th century - Glazed ceramic.
This glazed ceramic is a finial cover. It is made of wood, and is an extension of the frame's spike, crossing the roof. Before the invention of the chimney, the fire was placed in the center of the room, and the smoke vented through the ridge. An opening was made in the center of the ridge, where the gable end of the roof frame emerged, forming a kind of shelter with thatch and bars, through which the smoke could pass. With the installation of chimneys against the walls, these skylights have disappeared. However, the gable end still protrudes above the roof. The ridge finial is designed to prevent rotting.