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Finial

At the top of the tent, iron pins on the tips of the mahogany tent poles pass through sewn grommets, securing the roof in place with the poles. To protect the pins from rusting and add a bit of style, turned wood balls called finials slide over the pins.

Collection of the Maryland State Archives. Washington, Lafayette, & Tilghman at Yorktown. Charles Willson Peale. Oil on canvas, 1784. MSA SC 1545-1120.