Minneapolis Institute of Art

Deer weathervane

United States

Date

c. 1885

Medium

Copper, zinc, lead, gilt

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Notice the small circular dents, likely from shotgun pellets. Perhaps someone was doing a little target practice, or maybe the weathervane got between a hunter and a bird on the wing. Luckily, the damage wasn’t worse. This rare deer weathervane is one of only three known examples by its anonymous maker. The three-dimensional copper form, ears, tail, and lead-filled, half-round antlers were all hand hammered, probably over wooden forms carved by the artist. The cast zinc head was made by pouring molten metal into a mold and letting it cool and harden. United States, Americas

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