ILTS Visual Arts (214) Content Area Practice Exam

Finial is the decorative piece that sits at the very top of a roof or at the end of a gable, finishing the silhouette with a cap-like ornament. It’s typically small but often quite ornate, marking the roof’s apex. A spire is a tall, slender structure that rises above the roofline, not just a cap. A crest refers to decorative ridge elements along the roof’s edge rather than a single top-cap. A pinnacle is a pointed ornament that can appear on corners or atop towers, but isn’t the standard term for the roof’s peak. So the topmost roof ornament is the finial.