Antique Fish Weathervane
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper, Iron
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Pine
15th Century and Earlier English Antique Fish Weathervane
Iron
People Also Browsed
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Fish Weathervane
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary American Bohemian Antique Fish Weathervane
Brass
18th Century French Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood, Paint
1830s French Louis XVI Antique Fish Weathervane
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century French Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood, Glass
Late 18th Century Swedish Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Pine
19th Century French Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Iron
Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Fish Weathervane
Onyx, Metal, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French French Provincial Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Fish Weathervane
Paint, Wood
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood, Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood
19th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century Art Deco Antique Fish Weathervane
Bronze, Copper
Early 20th Century American Classical Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
Mid-20th Century Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
Early 20th Century Dutch Antique Fish Weathervane
Tôle
Early 20th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
Early 20th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Pine
Early 20th Century Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper, Gold Leaf
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Early 20th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Early 1900s American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Sheet Metal
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper, Zinc
Early 20th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Early 20th Century Country Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
1890s Romantic Antique Fish Weathervane
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
19th Century American Colonial Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Tin
19th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Wood
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Copper
19th Century American Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
19th Century Antique Fish Weathervane
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
19th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Antique Fish Weathervane
Metal
Early 20th Century American Antique Fish Weathervane
Antique Fish Weathervane For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Antique Fish Weathervane?
Finding the Right weathervanes for You
Whether it’s mounted on a mantel or hung flat against a wall in the living room or entryway, antique and vintage weathervanes can prove a striking decorative touch in your home.
Weathervanes are instruments that indicate wind direction. They are also referred to as wind vanes, wind gauges or weathercocks, but regardless of what we call them, most weathervanes will perform in the same way.
Weathervanes typically consist of a gravity-centered rotating horizontal arrow or other structure that is mounted on a stationary vertical axis. When the wind blows, the horizontal piece moves freely, rotating to indicate the wind’s direction as well as its speed. Andronicus, a Greek astronomer, crafted one of the earliest iterations of the weathervane in approximately 48 B.C. His bronze design featured the head and torso of a man but the tail of a fish. Later, weathervanes could be seen atop church steeples and towers throughout Europe. The oldest weathervane is Italian in origin and assumes the silhouette of a rooster. It is a copper weathervane, said to have originated between 820 and 830 A.D. and can be found in the Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia, Italy.
Today, antique and vintage weathervanes are collectible sculptural works in any interior. They are celebrated for their place in the rich tradition of American folk art as well as their technological innovation.
Over the course of the 19th century, as the popularity of and demand for weathervanes broadened in the United States, blacksmiths, farmers and other tradesmen created weathervanes in the forms of cows, horses and other animals for barns in rural farmland. Commercial manufacturers in major cities took to producing all manner of weathervanes that were marketed in mail-order catalogs of the era.
When decorating with weathervanes, if you’ve decided against mounting your cast-iron painted horse weathervane on your mantel to complement your farmhouse-style decor, there are other options. You could repurpose your vintage weathervane as a provocative lighting fixture and hang it above your dining-room table, or dot the walls of your mudroom with weathervanes where they might double as racks for coats or other outerwear. Create a gallery-style hang as a focal point in your living room, grouping weathervanes that share a single theme or material. Because weathervanes have taken on many forms over the years, you’re likely to find a style that best fits your personality.
If positioned outdoors, a painted or varnished wood weathervane will resist harsh weather conditions, while copper weathervanes will resist erosion and usually come at an affordable price.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique and vintage weathervanes and other folk art today.
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