Rooster Weathervane

Unidentified, Rooster Weathervane, late 19th-early 20th century, carved pine and sheet copper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the folk art collection of David L. Davies, 1992.12.4
Copied Unidentified, Rooster Weathervane, late 19th-early 20th century, carved pine and sheet copper, 17 x 20 7⁄8 x 2 7⁄8 in. (43.2 x 53.0 x 7.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the folk art collection of David L. Davies, 1992.12.4
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Artwork Details

Title
Rooster Weathervane
Artist
Unidentified
Date
late 19th-early 20th century
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
17 x 20 7⁄8 x 2 7⁄8 in. (43.2 x 53.0 x 7.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase from the folk art collection of David L. Davies
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved pine and sheet copper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — bird — chicken
Object Number
1992.12.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1992.12.4

Artwork Description

The first known weather vane sat on top of the Tower of the Winds in Athens during the first century BC. The rooster weather vane, or weathercock, appeared a thousand years later when a papal edict announced that every church must carry the symbol of a rooster. This was to remind the faithful of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus, who said that the cock would not crow until Peter had denied him three times. In the nineteenth century, people made weather vanes showing everyday activities. Horses represented transportation, sport, and social status, and many craftsmen made weather vanes of record-winning racehorses. (Charles Klamkin, Weather Vanes, 1973)