Indian Weathervane Balance
Toy
Dimensions: 18.11 x 11.56 x 57.87 inches
The six-foot tall
original is probably now a focal element in a 5th Avenue penthouse, featured
against a stark ivory wall, overlooking Central Park. Leather armchairs and a
recliner close by are designed by Le Corbusier, very upscale. This Native
American marksman was the big surprise of the auction when phone bids rose
ever-higher, setting a record for 19th C. folk art. Like its original, hand
forged in metal sheet. With its proud headdress it makes for an iconic image,
classic and unique in American weathervane folk art.
Using sharp chisels, craftsmen cut
the steel plate into shape and hammer the edges. Others bend, cast and attach
the wire hung counterweight and check balance and swing. Village painters hand
paint faces and important details. Apprentices do base paint and more
mundane details. The distressed finish is the result of an old and proven
system of combined layers of paint of slightly different composition. The final
step is a hand rub with dark colored beeswax giving it the final finish and
feel. In the manner of their antique predecessors, our balance toys are true
originals.