Antique French Rooftop Zinc Finial with Mercury Glass

Spectacular antique French rooftop zinc finial with a bubbled mercury glass ball once the crowning glory of a French château. It is in good weathered condition (see detailed photos for puncture, missing leaf, uneven base), the mercury sphere is old but might not be original. In the 18th century, zinc became a popular roofing material in Belgium and France. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, zinc was also molded into other architectural forms, including roof finials, window surrounds, and decorative columns, as well as utilitarian objects, such as watering cans, wash tubs, and buckets. A hard-wearing, rust-proof material, zinc develops a wonderful gray-white milky patination over the years. Finials of this scale look great on buffets, in gardens, and on top of gazebos, manor homes or gate houses. This one is really spectacular - a stunning accessory wherever it is used. France circa 1870