Meet the newest early riser at Pollyanna’s Antiques: a bronze painted rooster standing a full 19 inches tall, chest out and head cocked, as if he’s about to announce the morning to all of downtown Mt. Clemens.
What stops people in their tracks is the detail. Every feather is sculpted on its own, from the tight scales across his breast to the long, sweeping plumes of his tail. His hackle feathers drape over his shoulders like a cape, and his feet grip the ground with each scaly toe and claw picked out in the metal.
A Painter’s Touch on Bronze
The artist didn’t stop at the casting. Paint was brushed over the bronze and then worn back, so warm browns, deep oxblood reds and hints of green shimmer across the feathers as the light moves. Then come the finishing touches: a brilliant red comb and wattles, a sunny yellow beak, and a bright little eye that seems to follow you across the room. Painting bronze this way is a long decorative tradition, and it gives him a lifelike warmth that plain metal never could.
At 19” high by 15” wide, he has real presence without taking over a room. Picture him on a farmhouse kitchen hutch, anchoring a mantel, or keeping watch from the end of a library shelf. Roosters have stood for vigilance, good fortune and the promise of a new day for centuries, and this one wears the role well.
Some pieces just have personality, and this fellow has plenty. Come meet him in person at Pollyanna’s Antiques, 287 North Avenue in downtown Mt. Clemens. We’re open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 4, and he’ll be up bright and early waiting for you.