Some weather vanes sell for big bucks; not this one

Q: I believe the weather vane in the enclosed photograph is called the "goddess of love," but I have been unable to find any other information regarding its age or value. Please help. C.C., Cincinnati

A: A weather vane can be in almost any shape as long as it has a surface that will catch the wind. When the breezes blow, the figure turns on a spindle and a pointer underneath indicates the direction in which the wind is coming.

The first weather vane is said to be the one placed on top of the Tower of the Winds in Athens, Greece, which was built in 48 B.C. by the astronomer Andronicus.

This particular device was in the shape of the god Triton, who had the body of a man and the tail of a fish.

The ancients tended to make their weather vanes in the shape of various gods - Aeolus (god of the winds), Boreas (god of the north wind) or Hermes (aka Mercury, who was the god of all sorts of things). The Vikings used weather vanes on their ships, and in the ninth century A.D. the pope decreed that every church had to have a weather vane in the shape of a rooster - thus the alternate name for these devices, "weathercocks."

Weather vanes can be found in a wide range of shapes that include American Indians, grasshoppers, airplanes, automobiles, railroad trains, men in sulkies, fire engines and a variety of animals, such as cows, pigs, rams, deer, dogs, pigeons, squirrels, fish and storks. The example belonging to C.C. is not the "goddess of love," but is the "goddess of liberty" or "Lady Liberty."

Nineteenth century examples of this figure are often depicted as a woman wearing a traditional "liberty cap" and carrying an American flag. The piece in today's question, however, is based on the model of the Statue of Liberty that has been in New York Harbor since the mid-1880s (it arrived on a boat from France in June 1885 and was dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886).

Today, authentic weather vanes from the 19th and early 20th centuries are eagerly collected and are displayed indoors as works of art. Unfortunately, there are many reproductions found in the marketplace and it is our opinion that this is one of those.

It is hard to be absolutely sure from a single photograph, but this piece appears to be too flat and the drapery of the costume appears to be wrong. In addition, the details on this piece are far too sharp for it to have spent much time out in the elements doing what a weather vane is supposed to do.

Finally, the figure itself is not in a style that suggests either the 19th or early 20th century, and the piece is misshapen. Weather vanes have been very much in the news lately with rare and unusual examples of the "goddess of liberty" selling in the $500,000-to-$1 million range. Perhaps it should also be mentioned that a full-figure representation of an American Indian recently sold to a private collector for an astounding $5 million.

As for the piece belonging to C.C., it is not an original and has an insurance replacement value of less than $250.

Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927.