Whale Weathervane
Early 20th Century English More Folk Art
Metal
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Weathervanes
Copper
Recent Sales
Vintage 1920s American American Colonial Weathervanes
Copper, Metal
Vintage 1950s English Folk Art Nautical Objects
Antique Mid-19th Century American High Victorian Weathervanes
Iron
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Weathervanes
Copper
Antique Late 19th Century American Weathervanes
Copper
Vintage 1970s Garden Ornaments
Copper
Antique 1890s American Folk Art Weathervanes
Wood
Antique 19th Century American Weathervanes
Sheet Metal, Iron
Vintage 1930s American Adirondack Weathervanes
Copper, Iron
Vintage 1930s American Adirondack Weathervanes
Copper, Iron
20th Century Weathervanes
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Weathervanes
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Weathervanes
Wood
Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Weathervanes
Copper
Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Weathervanes
Pine
Early 20th Century American Weathervanes
Vintage 1930s American Weathervanes
Copper
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Mounted Objects
Metal
Early 20th Century American Weathervanes
Iron
Antique 19th Century Weathervanes
1990s American Post-Modern Weathervanes
Metal
20th Century Unknown Architectural Elements
Copper, Steel
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Dining Room Chairs
Ash
Antique 15th Century and Earlier African Natural Specimens
Bone
2010s European Art Deco Picture Frames
Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century American Weathervanes
Copper
Antique Early 1900s Czech Art Nouveau Vases
Metal
Antique 19th Century American American Classical Weathervanes
Copper, Iron
Antique 18th Century French Rustic Fountains
Limestone
Vintage 1950s American Folk Art Weathervanes
Copper
Antique Early 19th Century American Folk Art Antiquities
Tortoise Shell
Antique 19th Century American Adirondack Weathervanes
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Nautical Objects
Brass, Lead
Early 2000s British Folk Art Wall-mounted Sculptures
Driftwood
Antique Late 19th Century Weathervanes
Copper, Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century English Georgian Sundials
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Steel
20th Century American Weathervanes
Copper
Antique Mid-19th Century English Gothic Sundials
Stone, Composition, Metal, Steel
Whale Weathervane For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Whale Weathervane?
Finding the Right Weathervanes for You
Whether it’s mounted on a mantel or hung flat against a wall in the living room or entryway, antique and vintage weathervanes can prove a striking decorative touch in your home.
Weathervanes are instruments that indicate wind direction. They are also referred to as wind vanes, wind gauges or weathercocks, but regardless of what we call them, most weathervanes will perform in the same way.
Weathervanes typically consist of a gravity-centered rotating horizontal arrow or other structure that is mounted on a stationary vertical axis. When the wind blows, the horizontal piece moves freely, rotating to indicate the wind’s direction as well as its speed. Andronicus, a Greek astronomer, crafted one of the earliest iterations of the weathervane in approximately 48 B.C. His bronze design featured the head and torso of a man but the tail of a fish. Later, weathervanes could be seen atop church steeples and towers throughout Europe. The oldest weathervane is Italian in origin and assumes the silhouette of a rooster. It is a copper weathervane, said to have originated between 820 and 830 A.D. and can be found in the Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia, Italy.
Today, antique and vintage weathervanes are collectible sculptural works in any interior. They are celebrated for their place in the rich tradition of American folk art as well as their technological innovation.
Over the course of the 19th century, as the popularity of and demand for weathervanes broadened in the United States, blacksmiths, farmers and other tradesmen created weathervanes in the forms of cows, horses and other animals for barns in rural farmland. Commercial manufacturers in major cities took to producing all manner of weathervanes that were marketed in mail-order catalogs of the era.
When decorating with weathervanes, if you’ve decided against mounting your cast-iron painted horse weathervane on your mantel to complement your farmhouse-style decor, there are other options. You could repurpose your vintage weathervane as a provocative lighting fixture and hang it above your dining-room table, or dot the walls of your mudroom with weathervanes where they might double as racks for coats or other outerwear. Create a gallery-style hang as a focal point in your living room, grouping weathervanes that share a single theme or material. Because weathervanes have taken on many forms over the years, you’re likely to find a style that best fits your personality.
If positioned outdoors, a painted or varnished wood weathervane will resist harsh weather conditions, while copper weathervanes will resist erosion and usually come at an affordable price.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique and vintage weathervanes and other folk art today.
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