Description:
large cow on a pole originally from a weathervane; animal
Label Text:
This copper cow weathervane would have been installed high atop the roof of a barn. Dairy farming was a large and important industry in 19th-century New England, and a cow weathervane would have been recognized as a sign not only of a dairy farm but of its particular breed of cow. This cow ornament was mounted on a shaft as the decorative finial on the uppermost part of the weathervane. The weathervane would turn as the cow's broad sides caught the wind; an apparatus with cardinal points spun below the sculpture to indicate the wind's direction. This weathervane was probably made by the drop hammer process. An iron mold was made in sections from a wood sculpture or pattern, and lead mold was then cast from the iron template. Copper sheets were fitted between the iron mold and the lead mold and hammered into shape. The parts would have been joined together by soldering; the sculpture was weighted with lead and secured to an iron rod. Before being mounted, this sculpture was also gilded, although most of the gold leaf has been weathered away. The nickel-colored circular patterns located on the body of the cow are repairs for damage possibly caused by stray bullets.
Tags:
animals; agriculture Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1968.2 |
