[Tagging] historic tagging, obelisks

[Johan Jönsson]

Steve Doerr <steve.doerr at ...> writes:

> On 03/02/2011 20:22, M∡rtin Koppenhoefer wrote:
> > Can you please help me to find the right word for stuff that is added
> > later on top? (in German that would be something like "Bekrönung" or
> > "Spitze"): e.g.
> 
> Tricky. Looking through the translations of Spitze at leo.de, either 
> apex or pinnacle might do.
> 
The pyramid-formed top part of the obelisk is called pyramidion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramidion

(The very tip of any pryramid shape is called the apex of the pyramid)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_%28geometry%29

But i think you want to know what to call the additions made to the obelisk: 
statues, balls, spikes, crosses and that sort of things.

An ornamental finishing on the top could be called a crest, 
but I´m not sure if it used in architecture.

For some uses they are called finial, but that might be too obscure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finial

an easy solution would be to use "top_piece"
/Johan Jönsson