Cow Weathervane, Downtown Gallery Provenance, A Great Example

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About the Item

COW WEATHERVANE WITH GREAT FOLK QUALITIES, PURCHASED AT THE DOWNTOWN GALLERY IN NEW YORK IN 1949, TREMENDOUS SURFACE, CA 1870-90:

The extraordinary surface on this cow weathervane displays early gold gilt, covered by a mix of hardened black soot—probably from a nearby chimney—and large patches of green verdigris. I have never seen this exact style before, the boxy form of which is combined with an unusually angled face that abounds with character.

This vane was acquired by a collector at the Downtown Gallery in Manhattan in 1949 and has eluded the public market ever since. For the benefit of those who don’t know, the Downtown Gallery, which operated from 1924 to 1969, was owned by Edith Gregor Halpert (1900-1970), a pioneer in the field of American folk art. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller was one of her best clients, and today the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum at Colonial Williamsburg plays host to one of the leading collections in the nation.

The vane was sold privately to a second party during this period; a major collector of fine art and antiques, who recently passed away.

The records of the Downtown Gallery are held by the Smithsonian and on public record, due to the importance Halpert’s role in both contemporary American art and folk art. The number of museums that she sold items to between 1948 and 1949 alone, as evidenced by her receipts, is staggering.

I appear to have potentially found record of the delivery of the bull among Halpert’s 1949 invoices.* According to their records, it was the only bull weathervane sold by the Downtown Gallery in that year. While the invoice itself has no date or dollar amounts, it appears in order among others that are consecutively dated in June of that year. The dates of “12/48” and “6/48” appear on line items and apparently represent the original purchase dates, possibly on terms, for items that were now leaving the gallery, including “Dog – Chalkware” for “Mrs. D. Calkins” and “Bull Silhouette – Weathervane”, for “Mr. Roy Neuberger”. One of these two individuals, or possibly a currier, was apparently receiving the items on behalf of both clients. Halpert’s receipts had very limited descriptions, but the cow does, in fact, have a particularly narrow profile.

Materials: Molded copper with zinc horns and ears.

Condition: There are old repairs to two bullet holes (one on the ridge of the back and one just above a front leg), accompanied by a repair at the top of the tail and repair at the base of the shaft. The cross member is slightly bent and there is a bent kink in the tail. There is pleasing, expected wear all over.

Dimensions:
Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)Width: 28 in (71.12 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Horn
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1870-1890
Condition:
See item description.
Seller Location:
York County, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: wv-0341stDibs: U1008038497272

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