Peacock Weather Vane 1800 - 1860

This anonymous, 19th-century, American weather vane, made of iron, is in the form of a stylized peacock. Its simplified form and rusty patina are characteristic of folk art, a style that was popular in the United States during the 19th century. The weather vane, now a part of the The Art Institute of Chicago's collection, would have once adorned a building, functioning as a practical tool to indicate wind direction and strength.