Moulded and Gilt Decorated Copper Cow
weathervane
Probably by J.W. Fiske, Massachusetts and New York, Circa 1875 Copper with a gilt and verdigris surface patination
14 1/2 x 27 1/2 x 7 inches

Fully moulded cow weathervane in standing pose, with gilt and verdigris patination, on a billet bar.

This bold weathervane, with its cast head, horns and ears, and retaining much of its original gilt surface, is a very fine example that would, as were many livestock vanes, likely have been placed on top of a barn.

Made entirely of copper, it was probably made by J.W. Fiske, who prominently advertised his vanes to be ³all made of copper, and not a combination of zinc and copper, like other vanes on the market.² A cow weathervane of virtually identical form appears in Fiske's 1875 Illustrated Catalogue and Price List (p. 14) and was available in four different sizes and ranged in price