Pair of large antique French zinc architectural roof-top sphere-form finials. 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. These finials are in good original condition, there is a leaf missing from the left-hand finial. 18th Century France.