Weathervanes are folk art – art that is both functional and
decorative. These guides that tell you which direction the wind blows, have
been around since 48 B.C. The earliest weathervane found was in honor of the
Greek god Triton.
Generally, it is a figure that turns freely on a vertical
rod and always points into the wind. Coming from the Anglo-Saxon word
“fane,” meaning flag or banner, the weather vane became part of ancient
cultures where life-sized replicas were hoisted atop structures. Traced back to
ancient Greece,
weathervanes were useful for civilizations because they were able to depend on
them as indicators of weather patterns.
American colonists copied the sculpture of European
weathervanes and as time passed the design became just as important as the
function of the instrument. Patriotic designs emerged which included the
Goddess of Liberty and eventually the eagle. New Englander’s designed
fish, seagulls and ships, while farmers and settlers crafted shapes of animals,
Indian heads and arrow points. In the late decades of the 19th century, Victorian buildings had fancy
weather vanes and elaborate metal work embellishments,
covering nearly every inch of their roofs.
After 1900, simpler styles began to emerge. The introduction
of the silhouette weather vane depicted humorous scenes, often sporting scenes
or figures. Today, in areas of winds and quick directional changes,
weather vanes are very popular. It seems like everyone is always looking
out to see the ferocity and direction of the wind.
Very windy areas are especially good places to research
different forms and designs of weather vanes. Once a symbol of a simpler
life weathervanes have evolved into more elaborate pieces of art. Artisans have
made their weathervanes into almost anything that can be blown in the wind.
Something as simple as long splinters of wood shingles (one thicker than the
other one) can be transformed into a crude weather vane.
Want to see some weathervanes? Check out these sites:
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York,
NY
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
PA
Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT
Mingei International,San Diego,
CA
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