Weathervane: Arabian Horse

Date1852-1867

Artist/Maker A. L. Jewell & Co. (active 1852-1867)

MediumCopper, zinc alloy, lead, paint, and gilt

DimensionsOverall: 15 1/8 x 18 3/4 x 2in. (38.4 x 47.6 x 5.1cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1961.800.3

DescriptionA full-bodied weather vane in the form of a horse formed in halves of molded sheet copper, soldered together. The tail is a separate cutout soldered onto the body. The straight, R foreleg is attached to the horizontal bar and forms part of the vertical pole on which the vane pivots; the L foreleg is raised. The head is solid and of a heavier cast metal.
Label TextThis little horse was best suited for use on a carriage house or other relatively small structure. The bowed neck, dished face, elevated tail, and raised foreleg distinguish it as the form usually marketed under the title "Arabian Horse." The animal's weight-bearing foreleg follows the line of the supporting pole, creating an especially well-integrated design.
Entrepreneur Alvin L. Jewell originated the form, and this horse bears his stamp. After Jewell's death in 1867, however, Leonard Cushing and Stillman White bought Jewell's inventory and molds and continued offering this and other vanes initially produced by Jewell. Some later manufacturers and retailers carried the form as well.
MarkingsDie-stamped into the left flank of the horse is "A. L. Jewell & Co./ Waltham, Mass."
ProvenanceStony Point Folk Art Gallery, Stony Point, NY.

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