Antique American Rooster Weathervane

Circa 1900: There really is no more classic weathervane than the rooster. Europe's oldest surviving weathervane, a rooster known as Ramperto's Cock, dates to circa 820-840 AD and is photographed and discussed on page 17 of Robert Shaw's American Weathervanes: The Art of the Winds (Rizzoli Electra 2021). Shaw also notes that "early European vanes were primarily associated with religion, and by far the most common form was the weathercock, a rooster placed atop a church steeple as a reminder of Jesus' Last Supper prediction that Peter would deny knowing him three times before roosters crowed to announce the new day" (16). Measuring 22.5" tall (30" tall including the museum stand) and 20" in length, this handsome copper rooster weathervane dates to around the turn of the 20th century, give or take a few years, and has a wonderful historic, if not original, gold surface commingled with a lovely verdigris patina and traces of red paint on the rooster's comb. There are a few bullet holes with old in use farmer repairs, some typical minor denting, and a little seam separation of the back of the bird's neck. All of these things are common to early vanes and speak to the vane's history and age. This is an attractive high quality weathervane with excellent sculptural appeal.