Grasshopper Weathervanec. 188017 × 35 × 9"Copper with gold leafGift of Mr. and Mrs. Francis S. Andrews1982.6.60152892980Artist unidentifiedArchitectureThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain. http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster22629EssexEssexUnited StatesMassachusettsThree Dimensional WorksEssexweathervaneSCULPTUREAccording to an exhibition card in the file, this vane was commissioned by Michael Burke for his stable in Marlboro, MA It was later found atop an inn in Essex Junction, MA and auctioned off in 1970 or 71. It is copied from the famous 18th c. Shem Drowne weathervane atop Faneuil Hall. Another similar vane belongs to the Concord Academy. The grasshopper vanes are rare because of their fragility. This example still retains its original patina.Nineteenth-century weathervanes were fashioned from iron, zinc, copper, and other metals that could be molded, cast, and wrought. The finished form was positioned on the tops of buildings, where they were often the highest element visible in a vernacular landscape. The metals used to form the bodies of these vanes were prone to deterioration when exposed to the elements. As functional sculptures that indicated wind direction, it was also necessary for weathervanes to be eye-catching. As a result, weathervanes were most usually gilded with gold leaf that protected the metal and glinted in the sun, drawing attention to their fantastical silhouettes outlined against the sky.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Grasshopper Weathervane," exhibition label for Ooh, Shiny!. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2012.http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster22629http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster22629http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster2262918751885 1982 6 6 weathervaneSCULPTUREAccording to an exhibition card in the file, this vane was commissioned by Michael Burke for his stable in Marlboro, MA It was later found atop an inn in Essex Junction, MA and auctioned off in 1970 or 71. It is copied from the famous 18th c. Shem Drowne weathervane atop Faneuil Hall. Another similar vane belongs to the Concord Academy. The grasshopper vanes are rare because of their fragility. This example still retains its original patina.Nineteenth-century weathervanes were fashioned from iron, zinc, copper, and other metals that could be molded, cast, and wrought. The finished form was positioned on the tops of buildings, where they were often the highest element visible in a vernacular landscape. The metals used to form the bodies of these vanes were prone to deterioration when exposed to the elements. As functional sculptures that indicated wind direction, it was also necessary for weathervanes to be eye-catching. As a result, weathervanes were most usually gilded with gold leaf that protected the metal and glinted in the sun, drawing attention to their fantastical silhouettes outlined against the sky.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Grasshopper Weathervane," exhibition label for Ooh, Shiny!. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2012.