Weathervanes Showcase Your Hobbies, Interests, Profession and Personality

Discerning decorators are always looking for unique and interesting ways to showcase hobbies (golf, boating, wine tasting), careers (firefighters, sailors, military), favorite animals (dogs, roosters, horses), wildlife (elk, deer, bears), and more. A weathervane, whether mounted on a rooftop on in your yard or garden, is the perfect way to do it! Copper weathervanes are true works of art. They are made by artisans and are built to last. Choose shiny copper or blue verde copper patina for an instant weathered look.

Standard Weathervanes are perfect for rooftops of homes and barns, and Estate Weathervanes are ideal for larger homes, barns, businesses and commercial buildings. Smaller Garden Weathervanes can be mounted on garden poles to enjoy in your outdoor living spaces, or even on your fireplace mantel or indoor tabletop. Flat Weathervanes are lighter in weight and are typically less expensive than the pure copper standard, estate, and garden sized varieties.

For centuries, people have relied on weather vanes to know the direction of the wind. It is thought that probably the banners which flew from medieval towers in Britain, Normandy and Germany were the precursors to our modern weather vanes. The word "vane" actually comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "fane", meaning "flag." Originally, fabric pennants would show the archers the direction of the wind. Later, the cloth flags were replaced by metal ones, decorated with the insignia or coat of arms of the lord or nobleman, and balanced to turn in the wind. Later, early American colonists favored vanes in patriotic designs to crown meeting halls and public buildings. One of the most popular was the horse.

In the ninth century A.D., the pope reportedly decreed that every church in Europe should show a cock on its dome or steeple, as a reminder of Jesus' prophecy that the cock would not crow the morning after the Last Supper, until the disciple Peter had denounced Him three times (Luke 22:34). Because of this story, "weather cocks" have topped church steeples for centuries, both in Europe and in America. In fact, rooster weathervanes remain the most popular country motif.

In the last decades of the 19th century, Victorian buildings had fancy weather vanes and elaborate metalwork embellishing almost every inch of roof space. After 1900, the movement to a simpler style of architecture was reflected in the silhouette weathervain, which often depicted sporting scenes or nature.

Although still fully functional, today's weathervanes are more for decorative purposes. It's easy and fun to showcase your lifestyle with a weathervane. Hobbies (golf, sailing), professions (firefighters, pilots), interests (wine-tasting, wild-life watching), favorite animals (dogs, whales), holidays (Halloween witches, Christmas angels) can be depicted in fine detail. As can whimsical themes (flying pigs, smiling dragons) and artistic flourishes (arrows, celestial bodies). Add some personality to your home with a weathervane. Also makes a fabulous wedding, house warming, retirement, or other gift!