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WEATHER VANE: ANTIQUE GAMECOCK, GILDED BRONZE and COPPER, AAFA
If you set your monitor at FULL SCREEN from TOOLS you will be better able to view the photos
This Weather Vane is a bit of a mystery to me. I acquired it in the late 1980’s in New Hampshire from older gentleman who used to have a shop east of Nashua. It had a light coat of whitewash or white milk paint or something, which came off very easily with a little bit of water.
I originally thought that the Gamecock was cut out of iron and that the ball underneath was copper. But a friend, who is an expert metal worker, told me that the bird and the short supporting rod between it and the copper ball were both cast bronze. When I found it, there was only the bird and the ball. That same friend added the copper rod below the ball and it has been gracing our back deck for a long time.
I believe it is an American piece, although I may be wrong. I really have no idea how old it is. It has a very simple form which I have seen on other documented pieces dating back to the 1700’s. “Weather Cocks” have adorned church steeples for centuries both in Europe and America since I understand that a Pope, in the ninth century, decreed that every church steeple should have a cock on it as a remembrance Jesus’ saying at the Last Supper that the cock would not crow in the morning after until St. Peter had denied the Lord three times.
It seems that these very early “Weather Cocks” showed no feet, similar to this one. So it may be that this figure came off of a church steeple. But I cannot be sure of that either.
On the wooden stand as it is now, the Cock is 22 inches tall. The original part, from the bottom of the copper ball to the top of the Cock’s head is 13 1/2 inches. And from his beak to the back of his arching tail feathers, he is 15 inches long. The body of the bird is 3/16 of an inch thick; the diameter of the original bronze supporting rod is 1 inch.It has a great patina of worn gilding over the dark brown bonze and it has acquired some verdigris as a result of exposure to the elements.
On the whole, this Weather Cock has a wonderful and idiosyncratic appeal to it. I just wish I knew more of it’s actual story.
The photos give an excellent idea of the beautiful form and patina of this interesting and wonderful object.
If you should have , please don’t hesitate to contact me, and thanks for looking.
AAFA
AAFA means Antique Americana and Folk Art and is used as a short cut to finding items that are true antiques, not reproductions, and are American. I guarantee that all of my items are as described. I will only use the AAFA designation for items which fit the criteria.
Due to limitations of photography and the inevitable differences in monitor settings, the color of the pictures on your monitor may be slightly different from the Cock himself, but I did my best to capture him as he is. And, at least on my monitor, the color is a perfect match.
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