Carved wooden model of the lantern of the Dome attributed to Filippo Brunelleschi made in 1436. By that year the construction of the dome was finished, and it needed to be completed by an architectural element that was not only aesthetically pleasing but also functionally stable. The weight of the lantern would help balance the complex system of stresses and tensions that support the dome. The lantern designed by Brunelleschi echoes the octagonal shape of the dome beneath it, resembling a small temple with radial buttresses and a steeple topped with a golden orb and cross. Brunelleschi’s decorations are a reminder of the fine work 15th-century goldsmiths were capable of producing.