International studio (19.1903)

/^OME MODERN WEATHER-
X^VANES. BY O. MAXWELL
. J AYRTON
" As the bookplate to the volume, so the weather-
vane to the homestead," has been truly said.
On picking up a volume in the library of a man
whose character is unknown to us, it is frequently
possible to read from the bookplate something
which, with a little imagination, may lead us on
to form an idea of the life, hobbies, or pastimes
of the owner.
In the same way a vane clean cut against the
sky may give a hint of the use to which a
building is put, or indicate the special sport
pursuit, or business of the inhabitant, thus giving at
once a personal point of interest, and stimulating
a more careful study of the
building, and often laying
open some reason for pecu-
liarity of plan or construc-
tion which would otherwise
remain unnoticed.
The idea of illustrating
by means of the vane
some subject connected
with the life of the occu-
pier or the use of the
building is far from new,
but it has unfortunately
died out to a great extent,
the designers of the mo-
dern weather-vane showing
a tendency to go back to
its original and now rather
dull form of a pennant, the
meaning of which is no
longer applicable.
The origin of the vane,
interesting in itself, is little
known. In mediteval times
the first knight to plant
his successful pennant up-
on the walls of a besieged
town or castle obtained the
royal right to hx upon the
highest part of his own
castle or stronghold pen-
nants emblazoned with his
bearing or crest.
Undoubtedly the com-
monest form of latter-day
vane is the cock; in fact,
so often is it' seen that
128

the name weather-cock is used by many people
indiscriminately. It is interesting to learn the
meaning of this symbolism of the cock, the emblem
of watchfulness. Wulstan writes of the old cock
on Winchester Cathedral, " A weather-cock caught
the morning sun, and hlled the traveller with
amazement, the golden weather-cock lording it
over tbe city; up there he stands over the heads of
the men of Winchester, and up in mid-air seems
nobly to rule the western world ; in the claw is the
sceptre of command, and like the all-vigilant eye of
the Ruler it turns in every way."
We also read from Shakespeare that the cock
was in his days regarded as the watchman-elect
over the country side: "The cock that is the
trumpet of the morn, doth, with his lofty and shrill-
sounding throat, awake the god of day." But the


ILLUMtNATED PAGE BY EDMOND J. REUTER