The Winter Sale 2022 | Copley Fine Art Auctions

THE WINTER SALE MARCH 4-5, 2022

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Schedule of Events

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Important Notices

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The Winter Sale | March 4 | 10AM | Lots 1-264

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The Winter Sale | March 5 | 10AM | Lots 265-556

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Terms and Conditions of Sale

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Buyer Pre-Registration Form

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Absentee/Telephone Bid Form

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Authorized Shipping Release Form

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Front Cover: Lots 97, 85, 327, 260, 130, 80 Inside Front Cover: Lot 29 Back Cover: Lots 95, 82, 39, 251, 403, 170, 73 Inside Left Back Cover: Lots 96, 81, 322, 402, 26, 89 Inside Right Back Cover: Lots 309, 259, 222, 28, 298, 77 Left Schedule of Events: Lot 133 Right Important Notices: Lot 256 Left Table of Contents: Lot 27

SPECIALISTS Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. Fine Art & Decoy Specialist steve@copleyart.com Colin S. McNair Decoy Specialist colin@copleyart.com Leah Tharpe Fine Art Specialist leah@copleyart.com

Left Properties: Lot 73

CATALOG BY Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. Cinnie O’Brien Colin S. McNair Leah Tharpe Chelsie Olney Eileen Steward, Photography & Design Michelle Dwyer

Printed in the USA Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/copleyfineartauctions © 2022 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. All rights reserved.

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THE WINTER SALE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

AUCTION: MARCH 4-5 Day 1: Friday, March 4, 10:00AM

Lots 1-264

Day 2: Saturday, March 5, 10:00AM

Lots 265-556 Live-streamed from Massachusetts; there will be no in-person bidding during the auction.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND AUCTION PREVIEW Please visit copleyart.com for links to view additional images of each lot. You may view objects in our gallery by appointment or contact us to find out if we will be traveling to your area. Our specialists offer personalized video previews; call our office to set up a time.

ABSENTEE & TELEPHONE BIDS To schedule absentee or telephone bids, please use the forms found in the back of this catalog. All bids must be received at least twenty-four hours before the start of the sale. We will be adding additional lines to our popular phone bank; please sign up early.

ONLINE BIDDING Live online bidding will be available through Copley Live (download in your app store), Bidsquare, and Live Auctioneers.

Please review the Terms and Conditions of Sale on page 358 and Important Notices on page 12 of this catalog.

COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS, LLC | info@copleyart.com | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, MA 02043 | 617.536.0030

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THE WINTER SALE IMPORTANT NOTICES 1

lease be advised that all persons wishing to bid at this auction P should read, and be familiar with, the Terms and Conditions of Sale in this catalog prior to bidding.

2 Buyer’s premium A buyer’s premium of 20% (23% for online bidding) of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the Buyer to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC as part of the purchase price.

10 Stands Please be aware that stands are not included with items purchased.

11 Condition description of wear or gunning wear

3 Consign to our next sale Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is accepting consignments for our Sporting Sale 2022. Please contact us by phone at 617.536.0030, or by email at consignments@copleyart.com.

4 Pre-registration Pre-Registration forms are available online, as well as in the back of this catalog.

5 Absentee and telephone bidding If you plan to place absentee bids or to bid by telephone, please make sure that we receive your Absentee/Telephone Bid form at least 24 hours before the start of the sale. It is possible that any bids received after this time may not be accepted. You will receive confirmation of your absentee bid(s) within 24 hours of receipt. If you do not receive confirmation, please call our office at 617.536.0030.

12 Fragile Decoratives

6 Sales tax All bidders holding a valid Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide their certificate, or copy thereof, while registering. Failure to do so will subject the bidder to a mandatory 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases.

F ragile decoratives, like the birds, feathers, flora, and fauna that their makers emulate, can be particularly susceptible to damage, deterioration, and loss. Feathers, wings, legs, tails, leaves, branches, and other parts can become detached from necessary handling. Due to these circumstances, CFAA will not be responsible for any change in condition of lots which are described as “fragile.” Additionally, we recommend that all bidders consider transportation logistics for these special objects prior to the sale.

7 Inspection of items offered at this auction

13 Condition description of “As found”

All items are sold “as is” and should be inspected either personally or by agent before a bid is placed. Prospective buyers should satisfy themselves by personal inspection as to the condition of each lot. Although condition reports may be published or given on request, such reports are statements of opinion only. Regardless of whether or not a condition report is given, all property is sold “as is.” The absence of a condition report does not imply that the property is in good condition.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to refuse condition requests.

The “as found” designation denotes that condition issues are not listed. It is the responsibility of the buyer to determine condition. The item is sold with any faults and imperfections that may exist.

8 Flat art dimensions Please be aware that all flat art dimensions are approximate and are rounded to the nearest quarter inch. Flat art is measured by height followed by width. Three-dimensional works are measured by height, width, and depth.

9 Additional images

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ear or gunning wear may include all types of wear and W damage that can be inflicted, and may be expected, from hunting, handling, use, or time. This may include, but is not limited to, paint wear, flaking, dings, scratches, checks, cracks, craquelure, age lines, dents, chips, rubs, blunts, broken or missing eyes, shot scars, seam separations, raised grain, rust, filler loss, sap, discoloration, and altered rigging, stick holes, and eyes. The condition of the undersides may not be listed.

Clear coats, such as varnish, shellac, and oil, may not be listed.

Repairs, restorations, and touch-up may include new material.

Paint listed as “working,” “gunning,” or “old” is likely not original first coat. Repairs and construction features that are original to the work, including but not limited to putty, bungs, plugs, patches, and stabilization, may not be mentioned.

Replaced and repaired bills may include touch-up near insertion point and extend through back of head, if applicable.

Radiographs, or x-ray images, may be available by request for select lots. Please submit additional condition report requests at least ten days prior to the sale date. Additional online photos are considered to be part of the condition.

Please visit copleyart.com for additional images of each lot.

14 Auction results Unofficial auction results will be available online approximately one week after the auction at copleyart.com.

15 Pick up and shipping Buyers wishing to pick up items after the auction at our office may do so only by appointment. If you would like your items shipped, please complete and return the Authorized Shipping Release form found in the back of this catalog.

16 Auction day contact information

On site: 617.536.0030 Auctioneer Peter J. Coccoluto MA License #2428

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PROPERTIES FROM A descendent of Robert Andrews A descendent of Frank W. Benson The Walter L. Bush Collection, deaccessioned from a New York City Museum Len Carnaghi Collection Jim and Diane Cook Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection Thomas and Nancy Hennessey Collection Lew Horton Collection Linda Johnson Collection Michael and Marcia Kane Collection Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection Estate of Marjorie Pierson Marvin A descendent of Henry Sturgis Morgan Grant Nelson Collection Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection A descendent of Randolph Payson Private Collection, Connecticut Private Collection, Florida Private Collection, Idaho Private Collection, Indiana Private Collection, Maryland Private Collection, Massachusetts Private Collection, Cape Cod Private Collection, Nantucket Private Collection, Newbury, Massachusetts Private Collection, Nevada Private Collection, New Hampshire Private Collection, New Jersey Private Collection, New York Private Collection, South Hampton, New York Private Collection, Ohio Private Collection, Philadelphia Private Collection, Texas Private Collection, Houston, Texas Private Collection, Utah Private Collection, West Virginia Private Collection, Virginia Private Collection, Washington State Private Collection, Wisconsin Private Estate, Minnesota

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THE WINTER SALE 2022 LOTS 1-264 DAY 1 | MARCH 4 | 10AM

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The Art of Collecting Miniature Bird Carvings

I must admit that when I first entered the decoy business

perfect sense. They were easy to transport, they appealed

in 1991 I had very little time for minis. I was twenty-three, a

to men and women alike, and collectors always had room

duck hunter, and my initial love in carving was old gunning

for another acquisition. Most importantly, some of the

decoys.

greatest decoy carvers of all time made them, including Elmer Crowell, Joseph Lincoln, George Boyd, Charles

The first person who made me aware of the art form was

Perdew, and the Ward Brothers, to name a few.

early collector Howard Wadell. Howard was good friends with Judy and Ted Harmon and Joe French, and together

Following Howard’s lead, I began to educate myself on

the triumvirate made up, what I consider, the early

miniature carving masters, like A.J. King, Robert Morse,

“mini mafia.”

Elmer Crowell, Wendell Gilley, James Ahearn, and A.J. Dando, among others. After a few quick sales with very

Many of Howard’s dealings were covert; however, on

little heavy lifting, I became acutely aware that Mr. Wadell

more than one occasion I witnessed him set up at a decoy

was onto something.

auction or show. It took him all of three minutes to unpack.

Gentlemen and ladies would congregate around the trunk

One of my first miniature clients came to be in a rather

of his car in search of small treasures. Within an hour, while

inauspicious manner. One day in 1998, William V. Tripp III

I was still trying to negotiate my first sale of a life-size

entered my gallery for the first time. He politely

decoy, Howard had sold out of miniatures and was

introduced himself, and I offered to take his overcoat. Next,

counting hundred-dollar bills. It did not take me long to realize that minis deserved a hard look!

My first stab at minis was from the mindset of a mercenary. After all, from a business standpoint, they made

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he proceeded to carefully review the entirety of my one-

marvelous lunches, dinners, and always fresh baked

room Beacon Hill showroom. He barely spoke and exited

chocolate chip cookies from Bill’s wife, Bobbi. I learned

with very little fanfare. This happened two more times over

far more from Mr. Tripp about life and collecting than vice

the next six months and I was beginning to think that the

versa. His passion for life, skiing, and collecting was

dapperly dressed Mr. Tripp, who always wore a bow tie,

infectious and I was honored that our friendship lasted for

was a tire kicker. I could not have been any more wrong.

over a decade before his passing.

A top-notch trust and estate lawyer at Choate, Hall &

Whether choosing a lunch spot, fine art, or miniature

Stewart at the time, Mr. Tripp was merely sizing me up.

carving, Mr. Tripp only wanted the best. I greatly enjoyed

It was not until his fourth visit that he picked up an Elmer

the hunt and the challenge of maintaining his high level of

Crowell carving and began asking me questions—many of

standards. Mr. Tripp would go on to expand his miniature

which I was unable to answer!

carving collection over the years, adding exemplary and rare works by George Boyd, Joseph Lincoln, and others. To this

Fortunately, by Mr. Tripp’s next visit I had gone to get a

day, I believe that, bird for bird, his collection was the best

crash course on Elmer Crowell miniatures from restorer

of its kind ever assembled.

Gwladys “Gigi” Hopkins. An avid birder who has handled and restored more Crowell miniature carvings than any

The sale of Tripp’s miniature collection by Copley in 2011

other person alive, she patiently guided me through the

was a landmark event; though he was no longer with us,

finer points of the maker’s “good, better, and best” works.

I know that Mr. Tripp’s quintessential smile was shining

Twenty years ago, the pool of Crowell aficionados was

down from above. His due diligence paid off, and bird after

considerably smaller, and, though not one to tolerate fools,

bird achieved record prices for each species and maker.

she must have felt that she didn’t have much of a choice in mentoring me if she wanted to pass on her vast knowledge

It has been over a decade since we have seen a group of

to the next generation.

miniatures of the magnitude that we will put up on the block in this sale. Collectively, we are lifted by Howard

Gigi was an excellent teacher and Mr. Tripp must have

Wadell, Joe French, Mr. Tripp, and others’ legacies, and,

sensed my newfound training, as he began collecting

because of their visions, we are more empowered as

Crowell miniatures in earnest. My association with Mr.

acquisitors today.

Tripp developed into a terrific relationship which included

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— Stephen O’Brien Jr.

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

1 Early and Exceptional Miniature Curlew

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A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 4 in. long

A rare miniature curlew with finely blended paint and Crowell’s crisp circular “Maker” ink stamp on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear and chip to bill tip.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

$5,000 - $8,000

2 Miniature Golden Pheasant A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 5 in. long

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A rare and exceptional miniature golden pheasant with carved tail feathers and intricate prismatic plumage. The underside is inscribed with the species’ name.

The paint, carving, and condition of this rare bird place it among the rarest and very finest of Crowell’s miniature game birds. Excellent original paint with light wear and a small chip to underside of top tail feather.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 263, miniature ring-necked pheasant illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

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3 Miniature Baltimore Oriole

4 Miniature Red-Winged Blackbird

A bright and early miniature oriole with a faint species inscription on the underside of the base. Original paint with light wear and a blunted bill tip.

A miniature red-winged blackbird with a faint species inscription on the underside. Original paint with light wear and a bill chip.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1905 3 in. long

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A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 2 3/4 in. long

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

5 Miniature Brown Thrasher A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 2 1/2 in. long

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Original paint with wear, including chips to bill, tail, and wing tips.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

6 Miniature Red-Breasted Nuthatch A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 2 1/4 in. long

A miniature nuthatch with very pronounced dropped wings and a faint species inscription on the base’s underside. True to the nature of this petite species, this songbird is among Crowell’s smallest carvings. Original paint with light wear and a bill tip chip.

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

7 Early Miniature Flicker

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 3 in. long

A rare species for Crowell, this carving bears a faint circular “Maker” stamp on the underside. Original paint with light wear and bill and tail tip chips.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

8 Miniature Semipalmated Plover A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 2 1/2 in. long

Original paint with light wear, chip to wing tip and missing bill.

10 Miniature Least Tern

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1940 2 in. tall

A rare species for the maker, this tern displays raised wings, a split tail, and finely painted bill detail. The underside bears a trimmed blue-paper label along with a “Donald B. Howes” ink stamp. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

PROVENANCE: Donald B. Howes Collection Private Collection, Houston, Texas

9 Miniature Killdeer

$2,000 - $3,000

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 3 in. long

A miniature killdeer with a faint circular “Maker” stamp on the underside. Original paint with light wear and tight craquelure on the breast.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

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11 Miniature Redhead Drake A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 4 1/2 in. long

A miniature redhead with Crowell’s circular “Maker” stamp on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

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A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 5 in. long

This mallard drake is signed with the maker’s rectangle stamp on the underside of base. Original paint with slightly darkened patina, an old reset neck, and wear at right thigh.

13 Miniature Mallard Hen

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 5 in. long 14

Bearing a faint circular ink stamp, this miniature has racy form.

Original paint with light wear and minor touch-up to bill crack and tip. $2,000 - $3,000

14 Miniature Hooded Merganser Drake A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 3 in. long 15

Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

15 Miniature Black Duck

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 5 3/4 in. long

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A miniature reaching black duck with Crowell’s circular “Maker” stamp on the underside. Original paint with light wear and minor white spatter on topside.

A miniature baldpate with Crowell’s circular “MAKER” ink stamp and species inscription “M. Widgeon” on the underside.

Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above

16 Miniature Goldfinch

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 2 in. tall

An early miniature goldfinch with raised wing tips and the species’ name inked upon the underside along with the maker’s faint circular ink stamp. This stellar example reveals a beautifully blended yellow and orange body. Original paint with light wear, rubs to bill tip and touch-up to pinhead spot in front of left leg.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer

Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 205, related example illustrated. $2,000 - $3,000

17 Miniature Bluebill

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 3 in. long

A miniature bluebill with Crowell’s circular “MAKER” ink stamp and species inscription on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above

18 Miniature Wigeon

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 4 in. long

19 Miniature American Merganser A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 5 in. long

The paint on this miniature merganser is notable for its quality and detail. Crowell’s circular “MAKER” ink stamp and species inscription “A. Gooseander” on the underside. “Goosander” is the British and early American term for a merganser. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 241, similar merganser illustrated.

20 Miniature Mallard

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 4 1/2 in. long

A miniature standing mallard with Crowell’s circular “MAKER” ink stamp and species inscription on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p.

240, similar mallard drake illustrated.

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

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21 Outstanding Life-Size Black-Capped Chickadee A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1920 5 1/2 in. tall

Mounted on a native scrub-pine branch-and-bark stand. This base can sit flat or hang on a wall, inverting the bird, as they are often seen in nature. The backside of the base bears the maker’s all-caps inked signature. The carving displays raised wings and a dropped tail. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Ohio, since the early 1960s Private Collection, Houston, Texas

$4,000 - $6,000

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A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

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22 Kingfisher with Yellow Perch A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1935 7 1/2 in. long

A rare Crowell kingfisher mantel carving with a dropped tail and a fish held in its bill. It is noteworthy that this bird retains its original Crowell-carved fish. The carving is signed by the maker with his rectangular stamp on the underside of the base.

Original paint with light wear, including chips to two toe tips.

PROVENANCE: Joseph B. French Collection Private Collection, Cape Cod LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 265, related example illustrated.

$25,000 - $35,000

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

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23 Curlew Head

24 Lesser Yellowlegs

A life-size, half-model of a curlew head mounted on a beveled-edge oval base. This early decorative work showcases the master’s exceptional blended plumage. The backside bears the maker’s crisp oval brand. Original paint with light wear and very minor darkening to edge of bill.

An exquisite small mantel bird with a turned head mounted on a carved clamshell base. This specific execution is notable for its particularly fine paint, thin neck and bill, and split wing-tip carving above the arched tail. The underside of the base is signed with Crowell’s rectangular stamp and inked inscriptions.

Excellent original paint with light wear. Tight neck crack has been reset.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 head measures 9 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Brian Cullity, The Songless Aviary: The World of A. E. Crowell & Son, Hyannis, MA, 1992, pp. 84, 115, and 118, related head carvings illustrated and discussed.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 8 1/4 in. long

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp.

214-215, related yellowlegs illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

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A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

25 The Payson Decorative Greater Yellowlegs

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1920 12 in. long

Anthony Elmer Crowell was born in 1862 in the town of East Harwich, Massachusetts, the son of a Cape Cod mariner and cranberry grower. According to Crowell in his memoirs, Anthony S. Crowell, Elmer’s father, though not a hunter, gave his son his first shotgun at the age of twelve. Of the relevance of receiving the new shotgun Crowell wrote, “Then, I was some boy!” The legend of A.E. Crowell and his famous carvings has many of the common threads of the typical artist’s tale. It is the story of a boy of modest means, born at the right time, and befriended by encouraging patrons.

Crowell started out in his teens as a market hunter and a pioneering keeper of live waterfowl. These passions helped Crowell to develop an intrinsic knowledge of both waterfowl and other birds. His familiarity with bird anatomy enabled Crowell to create carved wood sculptures that bear exceptional likeness to their species.

With this yellowlegs comes the introduction of a previously unknown Crowell hunting companion and patron, Randolph Payson of Hyannis Port, on Cape Cod. This carving, along with the rare preening dowitcher and several miniatures in this sale, have been consigned by a direct descendant of Mr. Payson.

Crowell’s decorative yellowlegs have long been revered by top collectors and patrons. Indeed, Harry V. Long illustrated a very closely related yellowlegs in his journal with the caption “...he promised me that winter [greater yellowlegs] on the right four years ago -- ‘just a dream.’”

This example exhibits excellent feather blending atop the delicately carved body. The finely crafted legs and feet are resting on a contoured carved “rock” base. The carving’s underside bears the maker’s signature blue-paper label which reads: “A. E. Crowell & Son Bird Carving East Harwich, Mass.”

Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 215 related carving illustrated, p. 234, Long’s photograph and journal entry illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

After entering the service as a pilot in World War I, Payson went on to be a prominent figure on the Cape, where he served as a hospital president. As a child, the consignor recalls these carvings on display in the family home which was near the Kennedy’s compound.

Even patron Harry V. Long had to wait out the democratic process as he laments in the photograph’s caption written in his 1932 journal: “Elmer Crowell at work, he promised me that winter [yellowlegs] on the right four years ago—‘just a dream.’” Image from the journals of Harry V. Long.

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THE PAYSON DECORATIVE GREATER YELLOWLEGS

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

26 The Payson Preening Dowitcher A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1935 7 in. long, 8 in. tall

This exceedingly rare Crowell is making its market debut, coming directly from a descendant of Crowell patron Randolph Payson. Additionally, this is the first preening dowitcher we have seen at auction. Crowell is revered for his preening forms and this dowitcher was also finished with other fine carving embellishments including incised tail feathers and pronounced cheeks with eye grooves. The plumage is highly elaborate and the brushwork continues to the base with a painted grass design. The underside is signed and identified on a paper label, and is marked with Crowell’s rectangular stamp. Original paint with minimal wear.

Randolph Payson, a World War I pilot.

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PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p.

214 and inside back cover, related preening carvings illustrated.

$20,000 - $30,000

The Payson residence, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, next to the Kennedy compound, c. 1914.

THE PAYSON PREENING DOWITCHER

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EWOUD DE GROOT B. 1969

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27 Ewoud de Groot (Dutch, b. 1969) Snowy Owl, 2021 signed “Ewoud” lower right oil on linen, 47 by 47 in.

Ewoud de Groot lives and works in Egmond aan Zee, a coastal village in the Northern Netherlands. After receiving a degree in illustration and painting from the Minerva Academy of Art, he began illustrating nature books for a period before pursuing painting full time in 1999. Today, de Groot is recognized as a rising star in wildlife painting, bringing a truly unique perspective to the genre. His work strives to find both a balance and a tension between the representational and the abstract, the

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traditional and the contemporary. For de Groot, painting wildlife is not an exercise in rendering all the exact details.

Instead, his work is an ongoing experiment of composition, color, and technique, concerned with conveying a sense of mood and atmosphere found in the natural world. $8,000 - $12,000

EWOUD DE GROOT B. 1969

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28 Ewoud de Groot (Dutch, b. 1969) Marching Oystercatchers, 2021 signed “Ewoud” lower left oil on linen, 43 by 43 in. $8,000 - $12,000

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GEORGE BROWNE 1918-1958

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29 George Browne (1918-1958)

Pintails at Sunrise, 1948 signed “George Browne” lower left oil on canvas, 25 by 30 in. titled and dated on back King Gallery - The Sportman’s Edge, New York and J.N. Bartfield Galleries, New York labels on back

Struck down at the age of forty in a tragic shooting accident, George Browne is known to have completed only a few hundred finished works in his lifetime. The thoughtful rendering of his sporting and wildlife scenes suggests a man full of talent and promise. Due to his untimely death, Browne left behind a limited and highly coveted body of work. Following in the footsteps of artists/sportsmen like Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), Carl Clemens Moritz Rungius (1869-1959), and Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969), George Browne painted the waterfowl and upland game birds that he also hunted. Browne is known for his deft handling of paint and his incredible attention to detail.

Pintails at Sunrise is considered one of Browne’s very best waterfowl scenes, a masterwork filled with action and light.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey LITERATURE: John T. Ordeman and Michael M. Schreiber, George & Belmore Browne: Artists of the North American Wilderness, 2004, pl.

22, illustrated.

$30,000 - $50,000

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HARRY CURIEUX ADAMSON 1916-2012

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30 Harry Curieux Adamson (1916-2012) November Dawn-Baldpates signed “Harry Curieux Adamson” lower right oil on canvas, 20 by 24 in. titled on Sports Art label on back

Harry Adamson was one of the premier waterfowl painters of the last fifty years. Born in Seattle in 1916, he studied under Paul J. Fair who is best known for his wildlife photography.

Adamson began painting after serving in World War II, selling a painting to the president of Mexico within the first decade of his career. His success continued and he was honored as the first California Waterfowl Association Artist of the Year, as well as the 1979 Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year. His works have been included in shows at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the British Museum, and the Carnegie Museum

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of Natural History. Admired by his fellow artists, Adamson had a knack for capturing birds in their natural habitats. His thoroughly detailed landscapes are the perfect backdrop for his accurately painted waterfowl.

November Dawn-Baldpates is an early and important work by Adamson, depicting a rarely seen species.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Indiana

$8,000 - $12,000

LYNN BOGUE HUNT 1878-1960

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31 Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960) Broadbill Shooting signed “Lynn Bogue Hunt” lower left oil on canvas, 20 by 25 in.

Lynn Bogue Hunt was born in rural Honeoye Falls, New York, into a family that ran a small sawmill operation. He grew up with modest means, but spent hours outside exploring the natural surroundings in the woods near his home. He often collected birds and practiced taxidermy, a hobby that led to his accurate portrayal of his wildlife subjects. Hunt contributed illustrations to his own articles as well as cover illustrations to magazines, such as Field & Stream, Sports Afield, and Free Press. During his lifetime, Hunt painted for private collectors and companies such as DuPont, illustrated over forty books, and produced roughly 250 magazine covers. Though he spent

much of his life far from nature in New York City, Hunt had a strong foundation as a knowledgeable outdoorsman, bird hunter, and fisherman, enabling him to accurately capture the essence of the outdoors.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

$7,000 - $10,000

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RICHARD E. BISHOP 1887-1975

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32 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975)

Mallards Over the Marsh, 1958 signed and dated “Richard E. Bishop © ‘58” lower right oil on canvas, 11 1/2 by 15 1/2 in.

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

$7,000 - $10,000

33 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975) Pitching Geese watercolor, 11 by 15 in. estate stamped on back

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“Of all the carvers of miniature and decorative birds in the mid-twentieth century, Allen J. King was without a doubt the most gifted and versatile artist.”

— Joseph H. Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint

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ALLEN J. KING

1878-1963 | NORTH SCITUATE, RI

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34 Rare Miniature Belted Kingfisher Pair Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 3 1/4 in. tall including base

Kingfishers are a rare thrill to witness both in the wild and on a collector’s shelf. A testament to their rarity, kingfishers are not listed on A.J. King’s Crossroads of Sport list from 1938 which featured forty-two species. These are quite possibly the only kingfishers by King to ever come to auction.

Both birds exhibit raised, relief-carved split wings and fanned tails. The male is perched high in an upright position, while the female perched low and slightly forward as if ready to fish.

Both are fixed atop a branch, signed “A.J. King.” Excellent original

paint with minimal wear.

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, p. 109, Crossroads of Sport list illustrated, no kingfishers listed or illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

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ALLEN J. KING

1878-1963 | NORTH SCITUATE, RI

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35 Rare Miniature Screech Owl Pair Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 9 in. tall

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An exceedingly rare and well-executed pair of tiny raptors. The grey morph owl is alert with a turned head and raised wings perched on a branch. The red morph bird shows sleepy eyes as it rests in the safety of a tree cavity. The composition is signed by the maker on the side of the trunk.

cover of his book about American miniature bird carvings.

Original paint with minimal wear.

Miniature collector and author Joseph Ellis chose a related King raptor pair as the lead feature on the front dust-jacket

$6,000 - $9,000

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

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ALLEN J. KING

1878-1963 | NORTH SCITUATE, RI

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36 Rare Miniature Bald Eagle Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 bird is 4 3/4 in. long, total is 9 in.

A grand miniature bald eagle on a perch. The elaborate carving provided King with a large canvas to showcase his mastery of plumage. Signed by the maker on the side of the branch.

This is a very rare species for the renowned maker. Original paint with minimal wear.

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

$6,000 - $9,000

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ALLEN J. KING

1878-1963 | NORTH SCITUATE, RI

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37 Miniature Wood Duck Pair with Ducklings

38 Miniature Pintail Pair with Ducklings

An outstanding pair of summer ducks with five ducklings. The adults feature carved primary feathers with highly detailed paint. Signed “A.J. King” on the side of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

A carved family consisting of a drake, a hen, and five animated young. Signed “A.J. King” on the base. Retains the desirable Crossroads of Sport, NY, label on the underside of the base.

Excellent original paint with minimal wear, tip of drake’s tail is missing, and rear duckling has restored bill tip.

Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1950 2 in. tall

PROVENANCE: Eve duPont Remer Collection, purchased at the Crossroads of Sport Private Collection, by descent in the family Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 2 in. tall

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

$5,000 - $8,000

$5,000 - $8,000

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ALLEN J. KING

1878-1963 | NORTH SCITUATE, RI

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39 Miniature Quail Pair with Chicks

40 Miniature Woodcock Pair with Chicks

A finely carved and painted pair of bobwhite quail with four chicks. Signed “A.J. King” on the side of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

An exquisite family of woodcock signed by the maker on the side of the base. Original paint with minimal wear, one chick has chip to bill tip.

PROVENANCE: Eve duPont Remer Collection, purchased at the Crossroads of Sport Private Collection, by descent in the family Private Collection, Houston, Texas

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 base is 4 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Joseph H. Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Lebanon, NH,

2009, p. 108, fig. 11.7, related carving illustrated. $6,000 - $9,000

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Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 base is 3 in. long

$4,000 - $6,000

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41 Miniature Sage Grouse Pair Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1950 3 in. tall

A male greater sage grouse in an alert posture, with a resting hen. The male has carved, raised wings and individually carved tail feathers. With each measuring approximately three inches long, this pair is slightly larger than most King bird carvings.

Signed “A.J. King” on the side of the base. Original paint, with a restored central tail feather-tip on the male.

PROVENANCE: Eve duPont Remer Collection, purchased at the Crossroads of Sport Private Collection, by descent in the family Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

$2,000 - $3,000

42 Early Miniature Bobwhite Pair Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 2 1/2 in. tall

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A well-fed pair of bobwhite quail with incised wings. Signed “A.J. King” on the lower edge of the driftwood base. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, title page and p. 108, later related example illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

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43 Early Miniature Woodcock Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 2 1/2 in. long

A rare single timberdoodle on a round painted base. This example, with King’s signature detailed form and paint, appears to have been crafted from plaster with an inserted wooden bill. Original paint with minimal wear.

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

$2,000 - $3,000

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ALLEN J. KING

1878-1963 | NORTH SCITUATE, RI

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44 Miniature Bobwhite Quail Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1945 2 in. tall

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Signed “A.J. King” on the side of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

45 Miniature Woodcock Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1945 1 3/4 in. tall

Signed “A.J. King” on the side of the base. Original paint with minimal wear and reset bill.

LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-113, King carvings illustrated and discussed.

46 Miniature Green-Winged Teal Pair Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 2 in. tall

An early teal pair on a burl base with the maker’s signature.

Original paint with minimal wear. $2,000 - $3,000

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47 Miniature Goldeneye Pair

49 Miniature Bobwhite Quail

An early goldeneye pair on a burl base with the maker’s signature. Original paint with minimal wear.

A refined bobwhite quail on a wooden base signed by the maker on the underside. Original paint with light wear and touchup to small chip under tail.

Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1940 2 1/2 in. tall, 4 in. long

$2,000 - $3,000

48 Miniature Ruffed Grouse Robert Morse (1920-1960) Ellsworth, ME, c. 1940 4 1/2 in. tall

Perched in a pre-drumming stance with a fan tail, this grouse displays a pronounced crest, an intricate paint pattern, and the maker’s signature on the base. One of the finest Morse carvings to ever come to market and an exceptional representation of the species. Original paint with minimal wear.

Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c. 1960 3 in. long

50 Miniature Turkey

James Lapham (1909-1987) Dennisport, MA, 1961 8 in. long

Lapham followed in the footsteps of A. Elmer Crowell (18621952). An inked inscription on the underside of the base lists the species, the date, and the maker’s signature. Original paint with light wear, including minor flaking to legs, beard, and snood.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, pp. 140-147, Morse carvings illustrated and discussed.

$2,000 - $3,000

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WENDELL GILLEY

1904-1983 | SOUTHWEST HARBOR, ME

“Before he died, friends and patrons, led by Steven Rockefeller, incorporated the museum in 1979, and it opened in 1981, giving Gilley a living legacy unique among the carvers represented in this book. A visit to this museum is a treat for any fan or collector in the world of bird carving.”

— Joseph H. Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint

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WENDELL GILLEY

1904-1983 | SOUTHWEST HARBOR, ME

51 Half-Size Kingfisher Pair Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c. 1970 14 in. tall, 12 in. long

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The 1968 Decoy Collector’s Guide described Gilley’s craftsmanship: “For some years, Wendell Gilley of Southwest Harbor, Maine, has enjoyed national recognition for his decorative and life-like bird carvings.” Today, he is recognized both in the market and through the Wendell Gilley Museum in his hometown.

This decorative carving depicts a pair of belted kingfishers perched on a piece of driftwood. The base is signed “Gilley.”

Along with the heron pair from the same estate, it is representative of the maker’s best work. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Estate, Minnesota LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, pp. 148-155, Gilley carvings illustrated and discussed.

52 Life-Size Woodcock

Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c, 1950 7 in. long

A life-size woodcock carving in a dynamic pose with a tucked and turned head. Signed with the maker’s stamp on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

53 Miniature Great Blue Herons Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c. 1970 18 in. tall, 17 in. long

This wall-mount carving depicts two herons standing on a driftwood base. The side of the base is signed by the maker.

Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Estate, Minnesota

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MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

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54 Miniature Long-Billed Curlew

A miniature mallard decoy with rigging, signed by the maker with an incised “McNair” on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

An exquisite miniature sickle-bill curlew decoy displaying raised wings, carved primaries, a bone bill. Signed with incised “McNair” on the underside. Original stand included. Original paint with minimal wear.

58 Miniature Swan

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2015 4 1/2 in. long

55 Miniature Running Long-Billed Curlew Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2015 5 1/4 in. long

A long-billed curlew in the iconic Phillips rig curlew pose.

This miniature decoy has raised wings, a bone bill, and carved primaries. Signed with incised “McNair” on the underside.

Original stand included. Original paint with minimal wear.

56 Miniature Yellowlegs Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2015 4 in. long

A miniature yellowlegs displaying raised wings and carved primaries. This little decoy is perched on a removable stand made with a repurposed “Western Super-X” 12-gauge brass with a poured-lead ballast. Signed with incised “McNair” on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

57 Miniature Mallard

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2015 5 1/2 in. long

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Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2015 7 1/2 in. long

A miniature preening swan decoy with weight, tether, and the maker’s incised signature on the underside. A related full-size carving from the Barrie and Bernice Stavis Collection is now on permanent display in the Shelburne Museum. The StavisShelburne preener set a world-record price for a contemporary carver when it sold in the Sporting Sale 2009. Original paint with minimal wear.

59 Miniature Swimming Canada Goose Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 20105 6 1/2 in. long

A miniature Cobb-style swimming Canada goose with raised wing tips and the maker’s incised “McNair” on the underside.

True to its inspiration, this diminutive decoy features root-head construction. Original paint with minimal wear.

60 Miniature Great Blue Heron Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, 2015 5 1/4 in. long

A miniature heron signed with an incised “McNair” on the underside of the carving. The root head is removable with a tight mortise-and-tenon joint. Mounted on a finial base which bears the maker’s inked inscription and date on the underside.

Original paint with minimal wear.

MCNAIR MINIATURES “There was a lovely piece of old white pine on the workbench salvaged from a window frame. Tight grain like the pages of a book, and colored with age as though tea stained. I found it too special to discard. I was still basking in the satisfaction of having just completed a rather fine mallard drake decoy, my eye fell upon a choice little piece of very old white pine. It was much too fine to toss, and just like that I thought, ‘Wouldn’t that make a perfect mini companion to this nice drake.’ I’ll scale it to the wood’s grain, match the paint, glass eyes, nail pattern, rigging, et al. As perfect a little copy as possible, imagining I had a Buck Rogers shrinking ray gun. We had two little children then which created a playful mood in the shop. I’m sure this had a lot to do with it. This would be fun, and so it was.”

— Mark McNair discussing his impetus behind creating miniature carvings in Modest Town, Virginia, in the early 1980s

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FRANK S. FINNEY B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

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61 Miniature Pheasant Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2015 9 in. long

A very well-executed miniature feeding pheasant with extensive carved feather detail. Signed with the maker’s incised “F” on the top of the base. Original paint with minimal wear. .

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62 Miniature Ruffed Grouse Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 6 1/2 in. long

The body has raised wing and tail carving and blended feathering. The turned-head carving bears an incised “F” signature and species designation under base. Original paint with minimal wear.

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63 Miniature Woodcock Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 6 in. long

An outstanding Finney miniature woodcock carving with an unusual worm in its bill and finely carved feather detail. Signed with the maker’s incised “F” on the top of the base. Original paint with minimal wear

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FRANK S. FINNEY

B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

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64 Miniature Black-Bellied Plover

66 Miniature American Bittern

One of the maker’s finer miniature efforts, this rare calling plover features a dropped tail, painted feather detail, and the maker’s “Finney” stamp and incised cursive “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

A feeding bittern carving with deeply incised wings, and the maker’s “Finney” stamp and incised cursive “F” on the bottom of the base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 3 1/2 in. long

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 5 in. long

67 Miniature Semipalmated Plover 65 Miniature Red Knot Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 1/2 in. long

A robin snipe carving with a split tail and the maker’s “Finney” stamp and incised cursive “F” on the bottom of the base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 3 in. tall

A small plover with an incised, stylized “F” and the maker’s stamp on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

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FRANK S. FINNEY B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

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68 Miniature Preening Black Duck

70 Miniature Whooping Crane

This carving features crossed raised wing tips and an incised “F” and maker’s stamp on the underside of the painted base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

A crane carving with incised feather detail. Signed with the maker’s incised “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

69 Miniature Goldeneye Drake

71 Miniature White Ibis

A goldeneye carving with raised wing tips. Signed with the maker’s stamp and incised “F” on the bottom of the base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

A preening white ibis carving with dropped wings, an upswept tail, and the maker’s “Finney” stamp and incised cursive “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 5 in. long

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 5 in. tall

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Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2010 4 1/2 in. long

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 in. long

DAVID A. MAASS B. 1929

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72 David A. Maass (b. 1929)

Ruffed Grouse signed “Maass” lower right oil on board, 28 by 40 in.

An avid sportsman and ardent contributor to conservation organizations, David Maass painted game birds for more than thirty years. In the past twenty years, Maass designed more than thirty conservation stamps and prints, a distinction few artists can claim. Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Minnesota Wildlife Heritage Foundation have each named David Maass their Artist of the Year. Maass’ original paintings and limited edition prints have been exhibited in galleries and shows throughout the country, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.; the

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin; and the annual Minnesota Wildlife Heritage Foundation Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. An original Canada goose painting

by David Maass is part of the permanent collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Indiana

$6,000 - $9,000

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OGDEN M. PLEISSNER 1905-1983

73 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983) Golden Hours, 1952 signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 27 by 18 in.

This important painting, with its vertical design, bold colors, and vibrant light, was commissioned for the Hercules Powder Company’s 1953 calendar, and is considered one of the artist’s most important works.

Ogden Minton Pleissner was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied figure painting and portraiture with Frank DuMond (1865-1951) and Frederick J. Boston (1855-1932) at the Art Students League of New York. Despite growing up in the city, Pleissner was attracted to the outdoors and, as a teen, he visited dude ranches in Wyoming, where he sketched from life. Pleissner wanted to be classified primarily as a landscape painter, who also loved to hunt and fish. His subjects range from the landscapes of Europe to salmon fishing in Quebec, and his style is informed by the classical traditions. In 1932 one of Pleissner’s paintings was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, making him the youngest artist in their collection. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, as a member of the Salmagundi Club, Pleissner frequently won club prizes in the annual shows and gained special note from Howard Devree, art critic for The New York Times. Pleissner’s art is included in more than thirty public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

His art hangs in the offices of the Pentagon, West Point, and the Air Force Academy.

Peter Bergh writes, “One can always sense, in Pleissner’s sporting pictures, that he is painting the things he likes to look at in the places he likes to be...his ability to depict the sporting scene and to capture the essence of being outdoors is striking.

This ability contributed a great deal to the quality and interest of his landscapes and certainly furthered his professional career.”

Pleissner remembered, “We used to take our pack horses and tents and go up in the mountains to fish the trout streams and lakes. The trout out there were three or four pounds, and you could get them on a dry fly or any technique you wanted to use. There were lots of fish and beautiful streams. I always took my paints along...”

This bright, beautiful, sunlit scene captures the vibrant light bouncing off rocks and trees in a streamside setting. Its vivid clarity ranks among the best of Pleissner’s fly-fishing watercolors.

PROVENANCE: Hercules Incorporated Collection Sotheby’s, New York, November 28, 2001, lot 38 Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Peter M. Bergh, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, Boston, MA, 1984, pp. 73-74.

Pat Ryan, “A River Running Out of Eden,” Sports Illustrated, May 25, 1970, pp. 86-102.

$60,000 - $90,000

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OGDEN M. PLEISSNER 1905-1983

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74 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983) Quail Hunting signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 9 by 6 in.

Theodore Marvin, who commissioned these paintings on behalf of the Hercules Powder Company, was born in 1899 in Billings, Montana. After assaying at the Tom Boy and Smuggler Union Mines near Telluride, Marvin attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, where he earned an MA, served as an instructor in the Metallurgy Department, and ran on the track team. He was awarded the Mines Distinguished Award in 1959.

Marvin then had a successful thirty-year career at Hercules Powder Company, including twenty-two as Director of Advertising and Public Relations. His obituary notes, “His love of the arts was manifested in his interest in the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts, and his retention of the great N.C. Wyeth and other famous artists [including Ogden Pleissner] to paint illustrations for the annual Hercules calendars.”

In addition to many other industry organizations, Marvin served on the National Safety Council and in the American Mining Congress. He lived with his family in Wilmington, Delaware, and had a 100-acre farm in Pennsylvania. He was an active participant in the Delaware chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and a member of the Wilmington Club and the Wilmington Country Club.

PROVENANCE: Theodore Marvin Collection, Delaware Estate of Marjorie Pierson Marvin, by descent LITERATURE: Montgomery R. Budd, “Memorial in Appreciation of Theodore Marvin,” The Mines Magazine, June 1972.

$10,000 - $20,000

Detail of colored print tiltled Morning Flight.

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OGDEN M. PLEISSNER

1905-1983

75 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

Morning Flight, c. 1951 signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 17 3/4 by 12 in. sold with color print, 18 by 12 in. print published and copyrighted in 1951 by Hercules Powder Company

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Commissioned by Theodore Marvin, advertising executive of the Hercules Powder Company, in Wilmington, Delaware.

PROVENANCE: Theodore Marvin Collection, Delaware Estate of Marjorie Pierson Marvin, by descent

$10,000 - $20,000

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OGDEN M. PLEISSNER 1905-1983

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76 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

An Open Shot, c. 1951 signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 11 3/4 by 8 in. sold with color print, 18 by 12 in. print published and copyrighted in 1951 by Hercules Powder Company

Commissioned by Theodore Marvin, advertising executive of the Hercules Powder Company, in Wilmington, Delaware.

PROVENANCE: Theodore Marvin Collection, Delaware Estate of Marjorie Pierson Marvin, by descent

$10,000 - $20,000

77 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

Wilderness Trout Stream signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 17 1/2 by 27 1/2 in. titled and signed on The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop, New York, New York label on back

Pleissner’s skill at capturing the tumble and splash of rushing water is demonstrated in Wilderness Trout Stream. His animated brushwork evokes the movement of the outdoors, not only the rippling water, but also the swaying trees and rustling grass.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, South Carolina Private Collection, Sun Valley, Idaho LITERATURE: Peter Bergh, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, Boston, MA, p. 73.

$25,000 - $35,000

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OGDEN M. PLEISSNER

1905-1983

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“Great sporting artists are great artists who know the habits of wild creatures and have committed to memory every detail of habitat. These are men who have experienced the thrill of an Atlantic salmon or a large trout taking a well-presented fly, the explosion of a bursting covey of quail, sunrise on a duck marsh, running the rapids in a canoe, sleeping under the stars, and in many other ways truly lived in nature.”

— Peter Bergh

Detail of colored print tiltled An Open Shot.

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WALTER T. MATIA B. 1953

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78 Walter T. Matia (b. 1953)

Pointer, 1995 signed and dated “Matia © ‘95” on base bronze, 21 3/4 by 22 3/4 by 7 1/2 in. edition 8 of 36

Walter Matia is known for the remarkable amount of surface detail in his bronzes. He studied both biology and art design, the influence of which is apparent in his balanced and anatomically correct works. His subjects run the gamut of wildlife from eagles, to bulls, to sporting dogs.

As Tom Davis writes in Sporting Classics, Walter Matia “paid his dues, assembled a remarkable body of work, and established himself as a wildlife and sporting sculptor of uncommon perception, imagination and reach.”

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: Tom Davis, “Artist’s Hands, Hunter’s Heart,” Sporting Classics, March/April 2008, pp. 107-111.

$5,000 - $8,000

REGINALD F. BOLLES 1877-1967

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79 Reginald F. Bolles (1877-1967)

Pheasants on Folding Screen Goldfinches on Folding Screen on back signed lower right on far right panel oil on panel, in three parts, each 73 by 25 3/4 in.

Japanese-style painting on one side with goldfinches on tree branches and pheasants in landscapes on the other side. A major work by this top-notch illustrator, Bolles has created two exceptional works to separate or create space in a room. $5,000 - $10,000

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ARTHUR FITZWILLIAM TAIT 1819-1905

80 Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905)

Dog with Three Quail, 1883 signed and dated “A.F Tait NA NY 1883” lower left oil on canvas, 14 by 22 in.

Tait’s register records this work as Dog with Three Quail, and his note says, “I gave this as a bonus to FM Bird Canton & took it down there for a loan of $500.00 June 28th/83.”

Known as one of America’s earliest sporting artists, Arthur Fitzgerald Tait was born in Liverpool, England, in 1819. From an early age, he was interested in both art and the outdoors. Tait worked for the firm of Thomas Agnew, a famous art dealer and lithographer in Manchester, trained in lithography and drawing, and explored the open land around the city. However, many of the most beautiful vistas and hunting grounds were private and off limits. While in the employ of the art firm, Tait was exposed to the works of Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), Richard Ansdell (1818-1885), and John Frederick Herring (1815-1907), among others.

In Liverpool, beginning in 1843, Tait spent time with fellow artist George Catlin (1796-1872), which may have whetted the young artist’s appetite to explore life in America. Catlin, who was twenty-three years older than Tait, had spent much of the previous decade living in the American West chronicling the life of American natives through his careful drawings and sketches of their clothing, weapons, and ceremonies. There is little doubt that Catlin’s stories would have captivated the young and talented Tait.

In 1850 Tait boarded a boat with his wife and came to America. By 1852 Tait was pursuing his interests in wildlife and hunting, based on the subject matter of his works. He worked from a studio in New York City, but spent a great deal of time on Long Lake in the Adirondacks, where he acquired skills as an angler, hunter, and keen observer of wildlife. These skills were as important for Tait’s art as his fine ability with brush and pigment, since they gave an authenticity to his portrayals of outdoor life which was virtually unrivalled at the time. His relative freedom to paint wherever he wanted in the vast public lands of New York was obviously liberating to the artist, who had felt confined by the strict laws governing trespassing and hunting on private property in England.

With this liberation and experience of the outdoors, Tait’s artistic career flourished. In 1852, only two years after Tait arrived in New York, Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888) and James Merritt Ives (1824-1895) purchased the first of many works from the budding artist. In that same year, Tait was asked to hang a half-dozen works at the National Academy of Design’s

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annual exhibition. By 1854 he had achieved an associate membership and four years later he became a full member.

Editions of Tait’s works for Currier and Ives were reproduced by the thousands and formed some of America’s most iconic images of the Victorian era. The exceptionally popular American Field Sports series showcased Tait’s abilities as an upland bird and dog painter and included the four lithographs A Chance for Both Barrels, Flushed, On a Point, and Retrieving.

These hunting scenes, along with his camping and woodland scenes, resonated with the public as an integral part of the American experience and continue to inform us of our history as a nation. Seminal works by Tait, such as An Anxious Moment, A Tight Fix, and Trappers at Fault: Looking for the Trail, have become embedded as part of our heritage and serve as signposts along our path as a nation.

Today, Tait’s wilderness, frontier, and wildlife scenes hang in some of the most prominent museums and private collections, including the permanent collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts; the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, New York; the American Museum of Western Art, Denver, Colorado; the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas; the Brooklyn Museum, New York; the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; the Denver Art Museum, Colorado; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the National Museum of Racing, Saratoga Springs, New York; the Shelburne Museum, Vermont; the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut; the Tate Gallery, London; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, among others.

A closely related work by the artist, painted in the same year, is prominently featured in Wild Spaces, Open Seasons. Dog with Three Quail is one of the artist’s greatest renderings of a bird dog on bobwhite quail.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, South Hampton, New York, the painting has resided in the same family for over seventy years LITERATURE: Warder H. Cadbury and Henry F. Marsh, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait: Artist in the Adirondacks, Newark, DE, 1986, p. 266, no. 83.23.

Kevin Sharp, ed. Wild Spaces, Open Seasons: Hunting and Fishing in American Art, Norman, OK, 2016, pp. 99-100.

$50,000 - $80,000

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EDMUND HENRY OSTHAUS 1858-1928

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81 Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928) Three Setters, c. 1900 signed “Edmund Osthaus” lower right watercolor and gouache, 20 by 39 in.

The original owner of this painting of three setters lived on an estate on the Maumee River in the Toledo area. He was a prominent lawyer in Toledo and a friend of the artist.

According to the family, Edmund Osthaus and the lawyer often smoked cigars together in their library, and the painting was a gift to the family.

Osthaus was an instructor at the Toledo Academy of Fine Arts. He then served as the director from 1886-1893, before resigning to devote “his life to painting, shooting, and following field trials. He gunned for prairie chickens, ruffed grouse, snipe, woodcock, and pheasants, but bobwhites were his favorites,” report Kay and George Evans in a 1970 Field & Stream magazine.

“Edmund Osthaus followed field trials from the fall prairie chicken trials in Canada to the important quail trials in the South in mid-winter, judging, sketching, and sometimes entering his dogs,” the Evans continue. “Thousands of shooting men have formed their tastes in dogs from Osthaus paintings... they know his setters and pointers as real dogs pointing and retrieving real birds. One man called them ‘healthy wet-nosed dogs that hunt, wag, sympathize, and love.’”

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According to Evans, Edmund Osthaus’ paintings exhibit “the character of the early Llewellin and English setters in this country, their beauty and integrity as bird dogs, and what they meant to those of us who care. Each Osthaus portrait of a gun dog went beyond even that, capturing the individual dog and making him exist after he is gone. Like the memory of a special dog many of us keep alive, [he] staunchly holds his birds as Edmund Osthaus caught that high spirit burning one late quail-shooting afternoon in the early 1900s. That, as any shooting man will tell you, is art.”

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Toledo, Ohio (gift of the artist, c. 1900) Private Collection, by descent Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: Kay and George Evans, “Dogs that Live Forever,” Field & Stream, vol. LXXV, no. 2, June 1970, pp. 234-240.

$25,000 - $35,000

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82 Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928) On the Hunt signed “Edm. H. Osthaus” lower left watercolor and gouache, 9 3/4 by 19 3/4 in.

A small, but fully finished sketch by this dog painter extraordinaire.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

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83 Percival Rosseau (1859-1937)

Irish Setter, 1932 signed and dated “Rosseau 1932” lower right charcoal, 26 1/2 by 38 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Connecticut Private Collection, New York

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GERARD R. HARDENBERGH 1855-1915

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84 Gerard R. Hardenbergh (1855-1915)

Family of Quail signed “Gerard R. Hardenbergh” lower left oil on canvas, 18 by 30 in.

Robert M. Hicklin Jr., Inc. label on back

Gerard Rutgers Hardenbergh was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1856, descended from early Dutch settlers. He was an early lover of birds, and spent significant time on the Jersey Shore, painting in a floating art studio named the Pelican, a houseboat he moored near Bay Head and throughout Barnegat Bay. Though self-taught as an artist, Hardenbergh exhibited to acclaim at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876. He also supplied bird specimens to Princeton University’s Biology Department. Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton, New

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Jersey, held the first exhibition on the artist, “In Nature’s Realm: The Art of Gerard Rutgers Hardenbergh,” in 2021.

Family of Quail is a significant work by this important early artist and ornithologist.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Georgia Private Collection, Idaho

$16,000 - $22,000

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AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY 1896-1969

85 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969)

The Rock in the River signed “A. Lassell Ripley ©” lower left watercolor, 19 1/2 by 29 1/2 in. inscribed “’The Rock in the River’ © A. Lassell Ripley, Upper Glory Hole on the Northwest Miramichi” on label on back Kennedy Galleries and The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop labels on the back

Born in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Aiden Lassell Ripley was the son of a Boston Symphony Orchestra musician. From an early age he excelled at music, but he soon discovered a deeper interest in painting. By his mid-teens, Ripley was committed to a career in art, commuting into Boston to take classes. After returning from service in World War I, he attended the Boston Museum School where he studied with the country’s top artists, including Philip Leslie Hale (18651934) and Frank W. Benson (1862-1951).

Ripley was awarded a Paige Traveling Fellowship to study in Europe. While abroad, he painted watercolors “en plein air” in North Africa, France, and Holland. Upon his return in 1925, he was elected to the prestigious Guild of Boston Artists. His work focused on the New England countryside as well as depictions of city life and railroad commuting scenes. The Great Depression, however, limited the sales potential for these works. Following a successful one-man show of his sporting art in 1930, Ripley decided to change tack and specialize in hunting, fishing, and outdoor scenes as subjects.

Along with his contemporary Ogden Pleissner (1905-1983), Ripley exemplified the life of a successful sporting artist.

Collectors of Ripley’s sporting art endorsed his numerous trips to the salmon rivers of New Brunswick and the quail plantations of Georgia, where the artist indulged his passion for hunting and fishing while recording material he would use in his art.

Of the numerous watercolors depicting Ripley’s beloved salmon fishing, perhaps none better captures the essence, joy, and beauty of the pursuit better than the Rock in the River.

Prominently featured in The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley, this masterwork stands as one of Ripley’s pinnacle works.

PROVENANCE: Thomas W. Sheppard Collection Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson Wildfeuer, The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley, Boston, MA, 2009, pp. 164-165, pl. 151, illustrated.

$40,000 - $60,000

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FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

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86 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

In the Marsh (Duck Hunting), 1916 signed and dated “F.W. Benson ‘16” lower left ink wash, 13 1/4 by 19 in.

Frank Weston Benson, one of the Ten American Painters and a leading influence in the Boston School of American Impressionism, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on March 24, 1862. In his youth, Benson was a gifted athlete and excelled at boxing, sailing, and tennis. Growing up along the extensive marshes surrounding his native Salem, Benson learned to hunt and fish at an early age.

Benson loved nature and birds in particular. He wanted to combine his love for birds and his love for art by pursuing a career as an ornithological illustrator in the manner of John James Audubon (1785-1851). As a child he spent many hours at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard and Benson’s mother, who was herself a painter, encouraged him in this pursuit.

In 1880, Benson enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He studied with the school’s founding teachers, Otto Grundmann (1844-1890) and Frederick Crowninshield (1845-1918). Among his classmates were Willard Metcalf (1858-1925), William Bicknell (1860-1947), Edmund C. Tarbell

(1862-1938), and Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950). Benson learned quickly and was recognized as a particularly gifted student. In 1882, while still attending classes at the Museum School, Benson began to teach free evening drawing classes in Salem.

In 1885 Benson rented a painting studio in Salem. He began to exhibit at the Boston Art Club and the National Academy of Design in New York, receiving much critical acclaim and numerous awards. After his marriage to Ellen Peirson in 1888, he taught at the Boston Museum School with his friend Edmund Tarbell intermittently until 1930.

This classic Benson ink wash combines accurate representation of waterfowl hunting with Benson’s painterly brush strokes to create a beautiful, captivating landscape.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection Sotheby’s New York, May 24, 2006, lot 102 Private Collection, Utah

$20,000 - $30,000

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ROBERT KENNEDY ABBETT 1926-2015

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87 Robert Kennedy Abbett (1926-2015)

Bo and Duke, 1981 signed and dated “R. Abbett © 1981” lower right oil on board, 21 by 36 3/4 in. signed, titled, and inscribed on back

Robert Abbett, born in Indiana in 1926, is best known for his depictions of sporting dogs, flyfishing, and Western life. He began his career as an advertising illustrator, attending night and weekend classes at both the Chicago Academy of Fine Art and the American Academy of Art where he found himself drawn to editorial and advertising art. In 1953 he moved from Chicago to Connecticut to be closer to the editorial markets.

He illustrated for Argosy, The Woman’s Home Companion, Sports Afield, Reader’s Digest, and True magazines. He also worked with several West Coast motion picture studios and drew covers for many of the leading paperback publishers. Abbett was commissioned to paint his first animal portrait of Luke in 1970, and subsequently transitioned from working as an illustrator to a full-time gallery artist. Abbett is recognized as a master in the field of sporting art.

This painting depicts two of the artist’s own dogs, Duke of Oakdale and Bo Jangles. In A Season for Painting, Abbett recalls

his setter Duke “graced our family for his lifetime as hunting dog and artist’s model and all-around pal.” Remembering his Labrador, Abbett writes, “Bo’s worst problem was his unlimited energy; he should have belonged to someone who hunted ducks with him at least twice a day, twelve months a year, with an occasional field trial or two thrown in. As a pup, he would sit in the studio watching me, crouched like a leopard about to spring, and I would tell him, ‘Look, Bo, I’m sorry, but there’s just not a lot going on right now.’ Perhaps I should have named him ‘Patton’: his charge was unstoppable.”

Bill Webster selected this iconic painting to make into a limited edition print by Wild Wings in 1982.

LITERATURE: Robert K. Abbett, A Season for Painting: The Outdoor Art of Robert K. Abbett, Dallas, TX, 2001, pp. 32, 48, 71, and 178, print illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

“As a bird hunter who has owned many setters and labs over the years, this Abbett work speaks to me. It captures a setter’s essence of running freely, showing his young friend the way.”

— Stephen O’Brien Jr. 76

ROBERT KENNEDY ABBETT

1926-2015

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88 Robert Kennedy Abbett (1926-2015) All Tuckered Out, 1978 signed and dated “Abbett 1978 ©” lower left oil on board, 20 by 30 in. signed, titled, and dated on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

“While there may be things in this world that are better than setter pups, they are few and far between.”

$7,000 - $10,000

— Stephen O’Brien Jr.

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AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY 1896-1969

89 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Grouse on a Winter Morning, 1940 signed “A. Lassell Ripley ©” lower left watercolor, 19 by 28 1/2 in. titled on four gallery labels on back

This bright and vivid watercolor, depicting the artist’s favorite bird, shows Ripley’s full brilliance. Sporting art collector Guido R. Perera, a friend and patron of the artist, marvels at Ripley’s knowledge of this favorite game bird: “Aiden may have been a grouse in one incarnation.”

PROVENANCE: Collection of Jim and Diane Cook LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. Fine Arts, American, Sporting & Western Paintings, Antique American Bird Decoys, 2002 Catalog, Boston, MA, 2002, item 14, illustrated.

Dana S. Lamb and Guido Perera, Sporting Etchings by A. Lassell Ripley, Barre, MA, 1970, p. 8.

EXHIBITED: Boston, Massachusetts, 125th Anniversary Exhibition,

Copley Society of Art, February 26-March 20, 2004. $25,000 - $35,000

Related summer scene on the front dust-jacket cover of The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley by Stephen O’Brien and Julie Carlson Wildfeuer.

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THOMAS AQUINAS DALY B. 1937

“I am fortunate to live in good grouse and woodcock country. They are gorgeous birds and every so often I feel moved to create a composition that features their subtle color, interesting shapes and patterns. The apple is included not only because the birds frequent a grove of old apple trees on my land but to visually create a point of tension, moving the eye in a triangle.”

— Thomas Aquinas Daly

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“The simple shape of an Atlantic Salmon is so sleek and elegant that it needs no further embellishment to create a stunning image. I simply isolate a pair of fish against a bare wall in pleasing light and adjust the relationships between their bodies and shadows. Whenever depicting a specific species of fish, I take care to describe any distinguishing characteristics with a certain degree of accuracy. This is especially true when painting salmonoids, as a deviation in color or shape could easily translate to another species.”

— Thomas Aquinas Daly

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90 Thomas Aquinas Daly (b. 1937) Still Life with Upland Birds signed “TA daly” lower left watercolor, 14 by 10 in. titled on back

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

$2,500 - $3,500

91 Thomas Aquinas Daly (b. 1937) Still Life with Two Salmon and Crockery signed “TAdaly” lower right watercolor, 15 1/2 by 11 1/2 in. titled on label on back

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

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LITERATURE: Thomas Aquinas Daly and Christine A. Daly, The Art of Thomas Aquinas Daly: The Painting Season, Arcade, NY, 1998, p. 92.

$2,500 - $3,500

92 Thomas Aquinas Daly (b. 1937) A Long Cast at East Rapids signed “TAdaly” lower left watercolor, 9 1/4 by 14 in. titled on back $2,000 - $3,000

93 Julie Jeppsen (b. 1960)

On Point signed “Julie Jeppsen” lower left oil on canvas, 12 by 16 in.

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Julie Jeppsen is one of the top dog painters today. Following in the footsteps of Rosseau, Osthaus, and Abbett, she is a contemporary artist who continues to impress the sporting art world.

94 Milton C. Weiler (1910-1974)

Fly Fisherman signed “M.C. Weiler” lower right watercolor, 9 1/4 by 16 1/4 in. inscribed “HERB: Fondest regards and thanks! MILT.” lower left PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$1,500 - $2,500

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"These highest of high heads by a masterful but unidentified hand capture the essence of the pintail by exaggerating the species' thin, elongated form. The decoys were used on the Grand Kankakee Marsh in Indiana, which originally covered more than 500,000 acres in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois and ranked among the great freshwater wetland ecosystems and hunting grounds of the world before much of it was drained for agricultural use."

— Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, 2010, discussing Kankakee Pintails

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HERMAN R. TRINOSKY RIG 1874-1956 | KANKAKEE MARSH, IN

95 The Trinosky Family Kankakee Pintail Hen Herman R. Trinosky (1874-1956) Rig Kankakee Marsh, IN, c. 1895 17 in. long and 10 in. tall

Well over a decade has passed since the Kankakee pintails first appeared. Their discovery is considered by most to be the greatest material decoy find of the twenty-first century.

Within three years, a total of just seven of these high-head pintails were collected, consisting of three drakes and four hens. Those seven exceptional birds quickly found their way into the nation’s top decoy and Americana collections and into two books, including landing on the front cover of one.

Information on the rig has trickled out slowly. In 2010 Robert Shaw illustrated four birds in his Bird Decoys of North America, in which he reported that seven were found in a house in Indiana. Later, Herman Trinosky’s name came up as the rig owner, and probable maker, of these Kankakee pintails. In 2019 it was reported that a hen “...was in the original burlap bag given as a gift from Trinosky to the family that helped him clean out his barn.”

In 2021, the eighth Kankakee pintail was revealed by a member of the Trinosky family. That Trinosky Family Kankakee pintail drake set a world record for the rig at its auction debut in the recent Sporting Sale 2021.

Set aside decades or even a century ago, this superb hen was also selected by Trinosky to keep in the family, where it has been preserved for four generations. This Trinosky Family Hen has been consigned by a direct descendant of Herman Trinosky and a close relative of the drake’s consignor. This hen represents the ninth, and likely final, Kankakee pintail known to exist.

Throughout history, decoy carvers often amended or altogether discarded their early patterns in favor of sturdier utilitarian designs. A perfect example of this evolution is Henry Keyes Chadwick (1865-1958) of Martha’s Vineyard, whose earliest redheads started out with stylish thin necks, long bodies, and thin, sharp paddle tails. Later, he modified his designs to have shorter bodies and thicker necks, thus acknowledging the utility flaws of his first carving period. With limited output and easily broken heads and tails, few of these intact redheads exist today. These early “flawed” designs, however, are the ones most coveted by collectors today. While no examples of middle-period or late-period Kankakee pintails

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are known to exist, more conventional and less fragile examples of mallards and bluebills from the rig attest to the maker’s more practical side.

Defined by its elegant form, this decoy showcases long and sweeping lines. The bird’s refined head features subtle cheek carving and a stylish bill that tapers with crisp edges. The graceful neck is fully extended and slightly drawn back, forming a S-curve through the sweeping breast. This neck treatment is accurate for the species, yet almost unseen in other surviving decoys. The body exhibits a smooth humped back that tapers to a long and thin uplifted tail. Viewed from above, the tail reveals a two-stage taper. This special tail treatment, along with the tall height, and its original glass eyes distinguish it from its rigmates.

The bird’s complete condition is remarkable given its design, which was prone to breakage while being hunted and transported. The form, paint, patina, and unaltered condition of this new discovery place the Trinosky Family Kankakee Pintail Hen at the apex of this iconic rig. In untouched condition, this hen remains in original paint with gunning wear, including some flaking mostly to left side and breast. Old paint drip on lower left side. Neck is loose at base and has a crack at its mid-section.

PROVENANCE: Herman Trinosky Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family from the above LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 39, rigmates illustrated and discussed.

Gene and Linda Kangas, Great Lakes Interpretations, Concord, OH, 2011, front cover and, p. 182, rigmates illustrated.

Gene and Linda Kangas with Ron Gard, “Kankakee Marsh Pintails: The Magnificent Seven,” from Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine, Lawsonville, NC, July-August 2009, pp. 16-26, rigmates illustrated.

Christie’s, Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Prints and Decoys, New York, NY, January 18-19, 2007, lot 365, rigmates illustrated.

Guyette & Deeter Inc., North American Decoys at Auction, July 2019, lots 139 and 140, burlap storage of rigmate discussed.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2021, Hingham, MA, July 10-11 2021, lot 112, the Trinosky Family Pintail Drake illustrated.

$75,000 - $95,000

THE TRINOSKY FAMILY KANKAKEE PINTAIL HEN

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THE LA CROSSE HIGH-HEAD PINTAIL DRAKE 96 The La Crosse High-Head Pintail Drake Wisconsin or Minnesota, c. 1900 18 in. long

Exhibiting elegant form, this hollow decoy is reminiscent of birds from the revered Kankakee pintail rig. The bird displays long, sweeping lines, including a high and graceful head. The thin neck is slightly drawn back and turned slightly to the side.

This neck treatment is accurate for the species, but rarely seen in decoys due to the inherent fragility. The head features an original mortise-and-tenon bill, a rare display of craftsmanship in waterfowl decoys. The body exhibits a smooth arched back that tapers to a long and thin pointed tail.

The bird’s structural condition is remarkable given its design, which was prone to breakage while being hunted and transported.

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Discovered near the Mississippi River, were it flows along the banks of both Wisconsin and Minnesota near La Crosse, this important Midwestern gem is an exciting new discovery for the decoy and Americana fields. Its rarity cannot be overstated, as it is unique to us. Original paint with moderate gunning wear. Original bill joint is loose.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, acquired from an estate near La Crosse, Wisconsin Private Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 39, Kankakee pintails illustrated.

$35,000 - $45,000

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Collecting Wood Duck Decoys

In many ways, collecting wood duck decoys parallels the

Adele, Cher, and The Boss, one-of-a-kind wood duck

identifying traits of the real birds. There are no other ducks

decoys have been given singular names, with The Lincoln,

like the wood duck. The mandarin duck, with its vibrant

Chambers, Mason, Dodge, and Vineyard forms having all

palette, may be the closest relative to the wood duck;

achieved iconic status within decoy collecting circles.

however, mandarin ducks are extremely rare in America, and there are no known working mandarin duck decoys

Lastly, wood ducks are daring; when it is time to leave the

existent. Wild wood ducks are elusive, just like their

nest, the ducklings will leap from great heights with no

wooden counterparts. The opportunities for collectors to

ability to return. The Rockefeller Shang Wheeler wood duck

acquire the handful of exceptional and early wood duck

pair reminds me of those ducklings; they are daring and

decoys are few and far between.

once they hit the auction block and gavel, they are unlikely to return for quite some time.

The male wood duck, with its explosion of color, is easily spotted on the pond. Likewise, a drake wood duck decoy almost jumps off the collector’s shelf. Like musical artist

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— Stephen O’Brien Jr.

CHARLES “SHANG” WHEELER 1872-1949 | STRATFORD, CT

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CHARLES “SHANG” WHEELER 1872-1949 | STRATFORD, CT

97 The Rockefeller Wood Duck Pair

Charles “Shang” Wheeler (1872-1949) Stratford, CT, c. 1935 14 in. long

The Rockefeller wood ducks, along with the Shelburne Museum’s “Champion” mallards, are considered to be among Wheeler’s finest decoy pairs. Viewed from an even wider lens, one would be hard-pressed to find a better wood duck pair by any maker.

Peggy and David Rockefeller acquired this duo from Thomas C. Marshall for their Art of the Western Hemisphere Collection.

Shang book author Dixon Merkt describes Marshall as “the leading historian of Connecticut decoy carving.” Indeed, Marshall was a contributing author to Henry Chitwood’s Connecticut Decoys. A dedication to Marshall written by Adele Earnest leads this 1987 volume. Connecticut decoy collector, historian, and carver Donal C. O’Brien Jr. facilitated the Marshall-Rockefeller exchange.

It appears Marshall cherry-picked this pair from Wheeler’s personal collection. These exact birds can be seen in a photograph of Wheeler’s exhibition at the legendary 1948 National Decoy Makers Contest and Exhibition at Grand Central Palace in New York City. After Wheeler’s passing the following year, Marshall was tasked with inventorying the estate. Missing from the estate, which included “74 Exhibition decoys,” is any mention of wood ducks. The drake then appears in 1965 as part of the Marshall Collection in Earnest’s The Art of the Decoy.

The bulk of the aforementioned exhibition decoys from Wheeler’s estate were brokered by Marshall to the Connecticut Audubon Society and were later sold to one of the nation’s preeminent private collections.

Earnest, with her elegant and revolutionary insight into decoys, discusses Wheeler extensively. “Wheeler worked from nature,” she states, “He loved to watch the ducks in the local ponds and estuaries, especially when they were relaxing and resting. He studied their attitudes and, in particular, their head positions. Then, he would go home and try to catch their gracious, fluid shapes in his manmade birds. He was a realist with a sure instinct for sculptural form.”

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This pair clearly demonstrates the qualities to which Earnest alludes. Both birds have relaxed crests and turned heads.

The hen’s head is also tucked and resting in her breast. Both are finished with Shang’s best feathering and blending. The undersides of the hollow bodies retain their original tear-drop weights, the bases of the leather anchor-ties, and their sequential “DR” inventory number tags.

A smaller flat-bottomed wood duck drake was selected for the front and back dust-jacket cover of Shang and that decoy is illustrated numerous times inside the book across from its mate. That smaller flat-bottomed drake and hen were the sole featured lots on the cover of the November 1996 Guyette and Schmidt Inc. auction catalog. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Charles E. “Shang” Wheeler Rig Thomas C. Marshall Collection, acquired from the above, 1948-49 Peggy and David Rockefeller Collection, acquired from the above through Donal C. O’Brien Jr., 1973 Private Collection, acquired from the sale of the above LITERATURE: Adele Earnest, The Art of The Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 75, exact drake illustrated.

Christie’s, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lot 1075, exact pair illustrated.

J. Barnitz, et al., The David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection: Art of the Western Hemisphere, vol. 2, New York, NY, 1988, p. 303, no. 192, exact pair illustrated.

Henry C. Chitwood, Connecticut Decoys, West Chester, PA, 1987, pp. 46-47, exact pair illustrated in 1948 exhibition.

Guyette and Schmidt, North American Decoys at Auction, November 6 & 7, 1996, Easton, MD, front cover and lots 469 & 470, smaller flat-bottomed hen and drake illustrated.

EXHIBITED: New York, NY, National Decoy Makers Contest and

Exhibition: Special Exhibit by Charles E. “Shang” Wheeler, 1948 $100,000 - $200,000

THE ROCKEFELLER WOOD DUCK PAIR

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GREAT WOOD DUCKS Wood Duck Drake (Lot 170)

Dodge Decoy Factory Detroit, Michigan, 1885 Private Collection, Texas *World record for the maker in 2002

Wood Duck Drake

Thomas Chambers (1860-1948) Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada, c. 1900 Private Collection *World record for any Canadian decoy

Wood Duck Drake

Joseph Whiting Lincoln (1859-1938) Hingham, MA, c. 1910 Collection of Paul Tudor Jones, II *Closely related example set the world record for any maker in 1986

Wood Duck Drake

Tyzzer Rig Martha’s Vineyard, MA, c. 1900 Private Collection *World record (private sale) for any Martha’s Vineyard decoy

Wood Duck Drake

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) c.1905 Detroit, MI, 1910 Private Collection, Washington State *World record for maker

Wood Duck Drake

A.E. Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1912 Thomas M. Evans Jr. Collection

Wood Duck Drake

Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1930 Private Collection, Maryland *World record for maker in 1995

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CHARLES “SHANG” WHEELER 1872-1949 | STRATFORD, CT

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98 Canada Goose Bookend Pair

Charles “Shang” Wheeler (1872-1949) Stratford, CT, c. 1930 11 in. tall

An exquisite pair of life-size Canada goose decoy bookends made by “the Gentleman Carver from Connecticut.” The bookends exhibit slightly turned heads, appearing to glance at each other. Each body has excellent feathering detail. The birds are mounted to refined walnut bases.

avid sportsman, [who] made conservation one cornerstone of his political platform. Wheeler followed in his footsteps. During several terms in the Connecticut General Assembly he led the campaign to pass anti-pollution and wildlife conservation legislation.

Charles Edward “Shang” Wheeler is widely recognized as the most celebrated bird carver from Connecticut. While his predecessor Albert Laing (1811-1886) is credited with originating the Connecticut style, and Benjamin Holmes (1843-1912), Laing’s successor, made early gunning decoys of exceptional quality, it was Wheeler who took the craft to the next level. He introduced innovative carving and painting techniques and created everything from sandhill cranes to sailfish. “Shang,” as everyone called him, was an enigmatic figure: oysterman, politician, boxer, cartoonist, public speaker, conservationist, and world-renowned decoy carver.

Unlike Teddy Roosevelt, Wheeler had no driving ambitions for public office. He went into politics because he wanted to clean up Connecticut’s harbors and rivers...His ties to Roosevelt and later to Herbert Hoover might have lead him to high government office, if that had been his goal. But Wheeler was satisfied with the life he had built for himself around Stratford.

He had many good friends; his work kept him outdoors; and each year he had time for hunting and fishing trips.” Original paint with light wear including minor flaking and minor white spatter.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

Author Dixon Merkt remarked on Wheeler’s life: “Wheeler’s concern with the conservation of nature eventually led him into politics. Over the years he had come to know and admire Teddy Roosevelt...a skilled ornithologist, former cowboy, and

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LITERATURE: Dixon MacD. Merkt, Shang: A Biography of Charles E. Wheeler, Spanish Fork, UT, 1984.

$15,000 - $25,000

LLOYD JOHNSON

1910-1965 | BAY HEAD, NJ

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99 Outstanding Wood Duck Pair Lloyd Johnson (1910-1965) Bay Head, NJ, 1957 14 in. long

An exceptional pair of summer ducks with turned heads, carved wing detail, and very fine paint. The undersides of the hollow bodies are identified and signed by the maker. The drake is dated as well.

mid-century carver with distinct style, Johnson is remembered as one of the great early collectors out of New Jersey, alongside William Mackey, Walter Bush, and Mort Hansen. Original paint with light wear, hen has very small chip to tip of tail.

This rare pair was selected by Henry Fleckenstein for his New Jersey Decoys book, in which the author introduces Johnson as “a master carver who was born in Point Pleasant into a gunning and decoy making family. Lloyd made a few gunning birds for his own rig and for his friends in the 1950s and 1960s.” In addition to his legacy as a highly accomplished

PROVENANCE: Chip Allsopp Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 21 and pl. 356, exact pair illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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100 The Purnell-O’Brien Shourds “Green Rig” Curlew Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 13 3/4 in. long

Harry Vinuckson Shourds is not only the most well-known decoy maker from New Jersey, he is also one of the earliest.

In addition to being one of the few professional carvers of his generation, Shourds hunted ducks for market while his wife used the feathers to make pillows and bedding.

An exemplary Shourds “green rig” shorebird decoy, described as such because of its hue. This curlew displays painted eyes, a splined bill, and exceptional blended feathering. This curlew is one of the finest examples by this maker known to exist. The underside retains the Purnell Collection’s “P” brand along with the stamp that denotes the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection.

The larger size of both the body and bill of this carving, in comparison with the following curlew, lot 103, suggests that Shourds may have made representations of both the larger long-billed curlew and the smaller whimbrel. In original paint with even gunning wear, very minor touch-up to lower left flank and left side of head.

PROVENANCE: William H. Purnell Jr. Collection Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys, From the Collection of the late William J. Mackey, Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Boston, MA, 1973, Session IV, lot 123, rigmate illustrated.

Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$14,000 - $18,000

Shourds rig displayed in Donal C. O’Brien Jr.’s home, lots 100-107.

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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101 The Mackey-O’Brien Shourds Hudsonian Curlew

102 The O’Brien Shourds Red Knot

The smaller size of both the body and bill of this carving, in comparison to the previous curlew, lot 100, suggests that Shourds intended to represent a whimbrel. The underside displays the stamp that denotes the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection along an inscription by William J. Mackey Jr. on the underside which reads: “TAKEN BY SAIL TO LOCUSTVILLE VA

BY ASH MILLINER MARKET HUNTER 1875-1952.”

Original paint with even gunning wear and original age line through neck and back.

Red knot carvings by this maker are rare and highly coveted, with the majority of Shourds decoys fashioned as plovers and yellowlegs. The underside retains the stamp that denotes the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection. Original paint with gunning wear, including a paint rub to tail.

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 12 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$14,000 - $18,000

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 9 in. long

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys, Spanish Fork, UT, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 30, exact decoy illustrated.

Jeff Waingrow, “The American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien, Jr.,” The Clarion: America’s Folk Art Magazine, Fall 1981, p. 31, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

EXHIBITED: New York, New York, The Art of the American Decoy:

Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien Jr., Museum of American Folk Art, September 3–November 8, 1981. $12,000 - $16,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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103

103 The O’Brien Shourds Eclipse-Plumage Black-Bellied Plover Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 9 1/2 in. long

A very fine example of this rare Shourds plover variation. This master carver heavily influenced the carving style of the New Jersey region. The underside retains the stamp that denotes the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection. In original paint with even gunning wear.

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys, From the Collection of the late William J. Mackey, Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Boston, MA, 1973, Session IV, lot 123, rigmate illustrated.

Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

104 The O’Brien Shourds Peep 104

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 8 1/4 in. long

Sanderling carvings by this maker are exceedingly rare with the majority of Shourds stick-ups fashioned as plovers and yellowlegs. This gunnedover decoy is a premier example. The underside retains the stamp denoting the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection. Original paint with gunning wear, including some flaking and replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$12,000 - $16,000 105

105 The O’Brien Shourds Yellowlegs Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 10 1/2 in. long

A yellowlegs with the stamp denoting the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection on the underside. In excellent original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

106 The O’Brien Shourds Breeding-Plumage Black-Bellied Plover

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Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 9 1/2 in. long

A breeding plover with pronounced cheek carving and the stamp denoting the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection on the underside. Original paint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp.

259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

107 The O’Brien Shourds Winter-Plumage Plover Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 9 1/2 in. long

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A black-bellied plover in winter plumage with the stamp denoting the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection on the underside. Original paint with gunning wear and minor restoration to chip on top of bill.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, Florida LITERATURE: Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, The World of Shooting, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp.

259-261, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, Hingham, MA, 2017, front inside boards of hard-cover edition, pp. 138-143, lots 68-75, exact decoy in O’Brien Shourds rig illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

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Dick Gove (1943-2021)

I first met Dick Gove in 1991. At the time, I was new

In 2011 Dick and his wife, Lynn, contacted us about

to decoys and knew very few of the players or

selling their miniature collection. The sale of roughly

collectors in the field. Dick ran with a group of

twenty lots went off without a hitch, and over the

collectors that I called the Jersey Boys. Though it

next decade Copley would go on to sell over 200

was not a formal group, you could not miss them at

birds from the Gove Collection, both at auction and

a decoy show. Often gathered together, they were

privately.

confident, gregarious, and a tad bit intimidating to a twenty-year-old Boston kid! The cadre included

The Goves saved some of the best for last.

Larry Poulin, Bill Cordrey, Jim Allen, Grove Conrad,

Included in this esteemed group are several of their

Phil Ryser, Mark Ford, and Bill Doggart. Though each

most coveted decoys, including The Townsend

one was different from the other, decoys connected

Godfrey goose, Barkalow yellowlegs, Blair swimming

them. Dick was the first of this group to help me on

black duck, North Carolina Canada goose pair, and

my decoy journey. Right from the start, he was will-

one of the earliest and best pairs of Cranmer wood

ing to share his knowledge. I would eventually come

ducks known to exist. We are honored to offer this,

to know and become friends with all the Jersey Boys,

the final installment of the Gove Collection, in the

but it was Dick that first opened that door.

Winter Sale 2022.

— Stephen O’Brien Jr.

Dick Gove sea duck hunting.

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108 Important Early Yellowlegs Bradford Barkalow Forked River, NJ, c. 1880 11 in. long

An elongated and folky decoy by one of New Jersey’s earliest makers. Decoys from this celebrated rig have been featured in prominent national collections, including those of Donal C. O’Brien Jr., Dr. James McCleery, John Hillman, and Paul Tudor Jones II. The underside bears the rig marking of three small impressed initials.

This is one of the few decoys from this celebrated rig held outside of the collection of Paul Tudor Jones, who acquired the bulk of the rig from Mort Hansen. Hansen sourced the rig buried in an old farm building near Englishtown, New Jersey.

Original paint with even gunning wear.

North American Decoys Magazine, Fall 1979, back cover, rigmates illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p.

164, pl. 390, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p.

192, related Barkalow examples illustrated.

Frank Schmidt and Gary Guyette, The Art of Deception: Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of Paul Tudor Jones II, St. Michaels, MD, 2006, p. 74, rigmates illustrated. $6,000 - $9,000

PROVENANCE: Mort Hansen Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 171, rigmate illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II, July 27, 2017, lot 26, rigmate illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p. 145, lots 599 & 600, rigmates illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery,” New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 368, rigmates illustrated.

Back cover of North American Decoys, Fall 1979, showcasing Mort Hansen’s rig of Barkalow yellowlegs.

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104

TOWNSEND GODFREY RIG GOOSE

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109 Townsend Godfrey Rig Goose Tuckahoe River, NJ, c. 1870 24 in. long

An exceptional and early Canada goose decoy with singular form. The carving features of this decoy are some of the most sophisticated seen in any goose decoy. The body is exceedingly hollow, has a flared paddle tail, and bold shoulder carving. The serpentine neck is slightly turned to the right and draws down to an articulated pinch breast.

The underside bears an incised “T” and “T.G.” is painted under the cheeks. These initials are for the rig of Townsend Godfrey.

Old paint with professional paint strengthening, including repainted sides. Neck has been professionally stabilized with some touch-up.

PROVENANCE: Townsend Godfrey Rig

Richard and Lynn Gove Collection $12,000 - $18,000

Reformed I am an old wild goose decoy, the legacy Of a gunner on Barnegat who knew, and cut The art of calling waterfowl Deep in my wooden soul.

And there it glows, in spite of all time, Potent as rum in the glass of youth And solid as granite rock.

My maker is gone now, buried and forgotten, And wild geese are few and far between.

My painted plumage is faded and sombre; My once-white breast, yellow like honey, Is blurred and crackled like a china dish...

— Joel Barber, Excerpt from “Reformed” from Long Shore

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110

110 Early Canada Goose Pair Portsmouth Island, NC, c. 1870 24 in. long

An early pair of Canada goose decoys, one in a swimming and the other in a relaxed posture. Distinctive shorebird decoys by this early unnamed maker are known to collectors; however, waterfowl are virtually unknown.

This sculptural pair showcases two dynamic forms. Notably, the carver executed subtle variations through the body and tail to accompany the stylish head and neck carving. This type of attention to detail has been a hallmark of sophisticated and inventive carvers for centuries. Each of the broad bodies has been hollowed out from the underside with numerous holes.

This coveted pair resided on the top of the bureau of the master bedroom and was among Mr. Gove’s most prized

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decoys. Indeed, he made it clear on numerous occasions that they were “not for sale.”

Decoys from this far-off and storm-wrecked seashore are challenging to research. Traces of old paint with heavy gunning wear showing mostly bare wood. Reared-back head has cracks, gunning repairs, and line of touch-up.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: Kroghie Andresen, Gunnin’ Birds, Charlotte, NC, 2008, pp. 369-371, several distantly related brant illustrated and discussed.

AMOS WHEATON

1853-1921 | SEAVILLE, NJ

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111 Mackey Wheaton Goldeneye Amos Wheaton (1853-1921) Seaville, NJ, c. 1890 13 3/4 in. long

These folky decoys have long been celebrated for the artist’s unique take on the goldeneye’s pronounced head shape. William J. Mackey Jr.’s inked collection stamp is prominently displayed twice on the underside on the carving. This decoy was exhibited at the Noyes Museum in August 1995. Original paint with gunning wear, crack in back, and head is loose. Original carved indentation across underside.

LITERATURE: Adele Earnest, The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 64, related example illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p.

32, pl. III, and p. 142, pl. 326, related examples illustrated.

James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 166, pl. 351, related example illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Oceanville, NJ, Noyes Museum, August 1995.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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113

114

112 Early Robin Snipe

113 Rare Feeding Yellowlegs

Red knot carvings by this maker are amongst the most popular species that Shourds made. In addition to their definitive form, this decoy displays a reddish hue not found on his other shorebird species. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Harry V. Shourds was among the most consistent makers of decoys. This consistency applied to not only his high quality standard, but also his straightforward patterns. The maker’s feeding pattern is almost never seen.

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1880 9 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

$3,000 - $5,000

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 10 in. long

Two prized exceptions were owned by James R. Doherty; both of which are boldly featured multiple times in his Classic New Jersey Decoys book. Doherty selected one of his feeders for the front dust-jacket cover of his book. The other one held the most prominent shorebird position on his collection wall.

Original paint with even gunning wear and appealing craquelure.

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection, acquired from Stephen O’Brien Jr. Fine Arts, 2004 LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys,

Louisville, KY, 2011, front dust-jacket cover and inside flap, pp. 66 and 70, one feeding yellowlegs and one robin snipe illustrated multiple times.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p. 92, pl. 95, exact decoy illustrated. $8,000 - $12,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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114 Yellowlegs

115 Brant

A classic Barnegat Bay yellowlegs with strong stippled paint and distinct wing tip brushwork. Original paint with gunning wear.

A hollow and full-bodied Barnegat Bay brant with bold form and side stripes. Mostly original paint with some working overpaint removed. Even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890 10 1/2 in. long

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1900 16 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, pp. 36-37, related examples illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

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HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

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117

118

110

HARRY V. SHOURDS 1861-1920 | TUCKERTON, NJ

116 Broadbill Hen

Harry M. Shourds (1890-1943) Ocean City, NJ, c. 1920 14 in. long

A hollow decoy with carved bill detail. Original paint with some subtle touch-up to flaking.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

117 Bluebill Pair

Harry M. Shourds (1890-1943) Ocean City, NJ, c. 1920 15 in. long

A pair of hollow, delicately carved decoys with painted eyes, carved bill detail, and inletted weights. The hen bears two “E.B. Becker” rig brands on the bottom. Drake is in original paint with light gunning wear, chip to right side of tail, and crack in neck. Hen is restored.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville,

KY, 2011, p. 84, exact decoys illustrated twice.

118 Early Bufflehead Hen

Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1880 12 in. long

A rare and desirable species by one of the most renowned New Jersey makers. In mix of original and gunning paint, some white paint has been removed from the white areas. Gunning wear, including some neck cracks and flaking.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

119 Miniature Red-Breasted Merganser Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920) Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1880 7 in. long

A rare Barnegat Bay miniature with a pronounced carved crest.

Shourds miniatures are exceedingly rare in any species.

Original paint with moderate wear and a replaced head likely done by a member of the Shourds family.

PROVENANCE: Harry V. Shourds III, acquired from Harry V. Shourds Richard and Lynn Gove Collection, acquired from the above

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111

120

120 Rare Semipalmated Plover Decoy Atlantic Coast, c. 1900 5 in. long

Any decoys of this small plover species are exceedingly rare.

Furthermore, this decoy was made smaller than the living bird and is significantly smaller than the a typical “peep” decoy.

This little chip-carved decoy was constructed with an applied head.

William J. Mackey discusses the “smallest of all decoys the writer has seen” regarding a related mini-peep in his book, American Bird Decoys. Original paint with light gunning wear, minor touch-up to front of neck seam and underside of bill.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

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LITERATURE: William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 48, related peep illustrated.

121 Two Peeps

Capt. J. Lewis Barkalow (1875-1960) Forked River, NJ, c. 1890 6 1/2 and 8 in. long

These small shorebird decoys were made by one of the country’s most revered peep carvers. Prominent New Jersey collector and author James Doherty designates a related peep as a rare pectoral sandpiper. Both birds show gunning wear and are in appealing working repaint by the maker. Small chip on top of the lighter bird’s head. Darker bird appears to have a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 171, related decoys illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 365, related example illustrated.

122 “Bull-Head” Plover

William A. “Bill” Harris (1862-1912) Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1890 12 in. long

These distinctive plover by Harris carry the moniker of “Brigantine Bullheads.” Original paint with even gunning wear and a tight crack in the tip of the bill.

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123

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 91 (middle), exact bird illustrated, p. 173, pl. 417, rigmates illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2021, Plymouth, MA, July 9-10, 2021, p. 114, lot 41, Johnson Collection rigmate illustrated.

James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, pl.

380, p. 173, two Conover rigmates illustrated.

112

JOHN BLAIR SR.

1843-1929 | PHILADELPHIA, PA

124

123 Black-Bellied Plover

124 Rare Swimming Black Duck

A rare and full-bodied shorebird decoy with the maker’s distinct feather painting. Original paint with even gunning wear, slight crack in bill, some flaking to original fill by stick hole, and some uneven varnish.

An early racy decoy with a “C. F. CROSTA” rig brand in the bottom. The underside of this hollow decoy has a long weighted keel. The head is finished with tight ticked feather painting. In old working paint with light even gunning wear. Replaced chip along lower left edge of bill.

Charles W. Turner (1860-1939) Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1890 12 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys,

Philadelphia, PA, 2011, p. 175, pl. 391, rigmates illustrated.

John Blair Sr. (1843-1929) Philadelphia, PA, c. 1880 17 in. long

PROVENANCE: C. F. Crosta Rig Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lots 1 and 2, related example illustrated.

$4,500 - $6,500

113

125

125 Brant

George Gaskill (1899-1975) Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1930 18 in. long

A hollow Atlantic City brant decoy branded “WHP Jr” on the bottom, denoting the William H. Purnell Jr. Collection. It also has the rig brand of “H. W. CAIN.” These Cain rig brant are amongst the best brant forms found in all of New Jersey. Original paint on sides and back and working paint to black and white. Gunning wear with some rubs and flakes, tight age line in neck.

PROVENANCE: William H. Purnell Jr. Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

126

126 Black Duck

Daniel Lake Leeds (1852-1922) Pleasantville, NJ, c. 1885 16 in. long

Hollowed from the top, this decoy bears shoebutton glass eyes and is stamped “F.E. Thissell” on the bottom. The “Thissell” stamp has also appeared on at least one other decoy, a black duck

by Charles Hart of Marblehead, Massachusetts.

An exceedingly rare waterfowl decoy by one of New Jersey’s top decoy carvers. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, minor chip to the underside of the bill.

PROVENANCE: Stephen B. O’Brien Sr. Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

114

WILLIAM H. CRANMER

1917-2008 | BEACH HAVEN, NJ

127

127 Early Wood Duck Pair

William H. Cranmer (1917-2008) Beach Haven, NJ, c. 1940 13 in. long

A plump pair of hollow wood duck decoys with textured head carving, curved sweeping crests, and upswept paddle tails.

The rarity of early working wood duck decoy pairs cannot be overstated as most carvers did not bother making working decoys of the species. Original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

115

WILLIAM H. CRANMER 1917-2008 | BEACH HAVEN, NJ

128

129

128 Outstanding Wigeon Drake

129 Wood Duck Pair

A hollow, turned-head wigeon with raised incised primaries and fine tail feather and bill carving. This carving’s underside bears the maker’s brand indicating that it was from Cranmer’s own rig. The decoy was acquired by renowned decoy collector Somers G. Headley in 1953, as noted in pencil on the underside. Original paint with light even wear and a small ding below left speculum.

A colorful Cranmer pair with turned heads and ornate crests. Each is hollow, the drake has an open bottom and the hen has a bottom board, each is covered in felt. Original paint with light wear. Pin-head sized area of fill on hen’s back.

William H. Cranmer (1917-2008) Beach Haven, NJ, 1953 14 in. long

PROVENANCE: William H. Cranmer’s Personal Gunning Rig Somers Headley Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection 116

William H. Cranmer (1917-2008) Beach Haven, NJ, c. 1960 13 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

Shorebirds and the Exceptional Collection of Lew Horton

Anyone who has walked along a beach or has navigated

rarity of species are examined much like the wine collector

the shoreline along a marsh has most likely engaged

who considers the year and vineyard, the body, and the

in observation of shorebirds. Unlike larger and more

number of cases produced.

boisterous birds, such as great blue herons and Canada geese, shorebirds are more subtle. Observing them and

In handling, writing, and editing the over one-hundred

studying their beauty requires the mind to slow down. The

shorebird lots in this auction, I am reminded of the joy that

same might be said of the collecting of shorebird decoys,

collecting these objects provides. In the pages of this

decoratives, and miniatures. Though often smaller in

catalog alone, on offer will be one of the greatest hollow

scale and far less numerous than their wooden waterfowl

golden plover known to exist (lot 146), along with a

brethren, shorebird carvings offer the collector entry into a field all their own. Just like waterfowl decoys, collecting shorebirds carvings provides a space for the connoisseur to shine. The subtleties of lines, the staccato of paint, and

117

Shorebirds and the Exceptional Collection of Lew Horton

newly-documented, named-maker (W.F. Larabee) curlew

which sold firearms and other hunting accessories for over

from Nantucket carved in 1842 (lot 145). Also in the mix

seventy years. An avid outdoorsman, Horton spent decades

from Massachusetts are two elegant Nantucket wind

hunting on Cape Cod and Nantucket. His collection reveals

birds (lot 147), several pinnacle works by Joseph Lincoln

great depth, from the finest Crowells to featherlight,

(lots 139, 141, 142, 143), and two previously undiscovered

hollow golden plover and wind birds from Nantucket. Lew

groups of life-size decoratives by early master carver Elmer

purchased pinnacle decoys directly from legendary

Crowell from the Payson and Hennesey families (lots 25,

Nantucket collector Robert D. Congdon as well as

26, 298, 299).

acquiring birds from the Congdon Auction in 1999. Built over a forty-year period, this marks the first time in decades

Moving down the coast, exemplary works from the Veritys

that many of these works will be offered for sale.

and Southards of Seaford, Long Island, fill these pages, along with one of the finest collections of Harry V. Shourds

I will always be thankful to the early shorebird decoy

decoys ever assembled. The finest of the Midwest is repre-

collectors like Robert Congdon, Lew Horton and others.

sented as well, with perhaps the single best Mason Factory

These sportsmen loved time spent in the marsh com-

robin snipe known to exist. Flipping through these pages,

muning with nature, and they celebrated these magnificent

one begins to understand the great opportunity at hand.

birds by bringing their wooden likenesses into their homes.

For Lew, they not only decorated every room in his house;

The Lew Horton Collection embodies an ardent collector’s

he lived with them, often picking them up to study their

passion for the art form and Copley is thrilled to offer this

lines, their paint, and their beauty. Unlike bird watching

collection in its entirety. In 1948 Lew Horton opened a

in the field, which often requires distance between the

retail sporting goods store in Framingham, Massachusetts,

observer and the quarry, the shorebird decoy requires none. Within these pages, our clients are offered the chance to study the shorebirds and the opportunity to take them home.

— Stephen B. O’Brien Jr.

118

119

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

130 Outstanding Raised-Wing Canvasback Pair A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1920 15 1/4 in. long

A distinguished canvasback pair showcasing an elaborate presentation in both form and paint from the “Father of American Bird Carving.” This duo was acquired by Mr. Horton from a Crowell patron in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and remains in exceptional condition after a century. They are considered by some to be the finest known pair of working Crowell canvasback decoys.

These decoys by Crowell are exceptional in that the maker rarely gave such special attention to his carved feather groups.

Each body is fitted with a turned head with rasped feather detail and a long sweeping bill true to the species. In addition to carved primaries and tail feathers, they have slight wing separation down the back and deeply carved scapulars and flanks. Each was finished with blended and detailed paint from bill tip to tail tip.

The undersides have remnants of old paper labels and are signed with the maker’s oval brand. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, including minor touch-up to neck seams and on small spot next to flake on hen’s right wing.

120

PROVENANCE: John Delph Collection Lew Horton Collection, acquired from a Crowell patron from Wellesley, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp.

116 and 151, related decoys illustrated.

Midwest Decoy Collectors Association, Fourth Annual Exhibition of Classic Antique Waterfowl Decoys, Oakbrook, Il, 1982, p. 18, exact pair illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Oakbrook, IL, “Fifth Annual Exhibition of Classic Antique

Waterfowl Decoys,” Midwest Decoy Collectors Association, April 22-24, 1982 $50,000 - $80,000

130

121

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

131 Exceptional Swimming Merganser Pair A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 19 1/2 in. long

An early rigmate pair of swimming mergansers acquired by Mr. Horton from a Crowell patron from Wellesley, Massachusetts. The drake features a turned and reaching head, while the hen swims straight ahead. Both racy bodies are notable for their broad girth. Each is finished with detailed and blended feathering. The undersides are marked with an early strike of the maker’s desirable oval brand. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, including minor rubs to hen’s tail and chip to putty at front of neck. Original and tight one-inch grain lift on hen’s back.

Elmer Crowell outside his workshop, 1927. Courtesy of Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich, MA. 122

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection, acquired from a Crowell patron from Wellesley, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 59, related pair illustrated.

Decoys Unlimited Auctions, Our 2nd Annual Milwaukee Auction, Pewaukee, WI, December 8, 2007, front cover, rigmates illustrated.

$50,000 - $80,000

131

123

JOSEPH SIEGER 1871-1959 | TUSTIN, WI

132 High-Head Canvasback Drake Joseph Sieger (1871-1959) Tustin, WI, c. 1910 16 in. long

This early, hollow decoy with an applied bottom board is an example of Sieger’s best work. Indeed, the underside bears the McCleery Collection ink stamp. Rigmates have been collected by the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center and Donal C. O’Brien Jr., among others. A related decoy was selected for the “Wisconsin Decoys” special exhibition at the 2004 National Antique Decoy Show. Original paint with even gunning wear, including some flaking, mostly to left breast, tight age line along right side.

PROVENANCE: Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 119, exact decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 255, rigmate illustrated.

Ronald S. Swanson, The Decoy as Folk Sculpture, Cranbrook Academy of Art Exhibition Catalog, January 1987, p. 43, fig. 67, rigmate illustrated and discussed.

$20,000 - $30,000

124

THE MCCLEERY SIEGER CANVASBACK

132

“A remarkable canvasback, part of a small rig by Joseph Sieger of Tustin, Wisconsin, is one of the finest figures ever discovered in the state. Its graceful proportions lend an alertness and elegance to the piece.”

— Ronald Swanson discussing a rigmate, The Decoy as Folk Sculpture, 1987 125

126

WILLIE ROSS

1878-1954 | CHEBEAGUE ISLAND, ME

133

133 Exceptional Merganser Pair Willie Ross (1878-1954) Chebeague Island, ME, c. 1910 18 in. long

An outstanding pair of Ross mergansers with rarely seen peacock herl crests. The pair represents this distinguished Maine carver’s pinnacle work. Excellent original paint with even gunning wear, including stacking rubs. Drake has a replaced bill, hen has a hairline neck crack.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

$8,000 - $12,000

127

“The hollow construction and head and tail carving make this decoy outstanding.”

— Shirley and John Delph, discussing this drake in New England Decoys

Lot 148

Lot 134 drake 128

HOLLOW NANTUCKET MERGANSER PAIR

134

134 Hollow Nantucket Merganser Pair Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 15 3/4 in. long

These unique and stylish “Morton” mergansers have hollow bodies with applied bottom boards, a feature rarely seen in New England. They have subtle chine carving at the front edges of the wings and distinctive wing-tip carving. This wing-tip carving and the drake’s pounced breast paint can be seen in some of the unknown maker’s golden plover decoys, including those with the W. S. Morton brand.

The Morton moniker comes from the rig of William Saxton Morton (1809-1871), a wealthy attorney from Quincy, Massachusetts. Morton was also the founder of the Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1851. W. S. Morton’s rig brand is commonly found in a distinct group of early flat-bottomed Nantucket decoys.

One other single hen is known to exist. The drake’s bottom board is branded “Q” for the Quandy Collection. Original paint with even gunning wear. Drake has age lines, chips to bottom board, imperfection on small hole to front left side, very minor spot touch-up to minimal flaking, and one-half bill replacement.

PROVENANCE: Quandy Collection (drake only) Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1981, pp. 86 and 104, exact drake illustrated twice.

$20,000 - $30,000

These mergansers are finished with elaborate plumage. The wing patterns are finely rendered with the drake’s design showing striking parallels to the work of the fellow 19th century Massachusetts master, Lothrop T. Holmes (1824-1899).

129

HOLLOW NANTUCKET BLACK DUCK

135

135 Hollow Nantucket Black Duck Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 15 1/2 in. long

A hollow black duck with a thin tail and incised eye and bill detail. This apparently unique carving has an applied bottom board, a feature rarely seen in New England. Original paint with gunning wear, some chipping to nail insertion at top of head, cracks in back of neck and in lower breast.

130

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1981, pp. 86 and 104, closely related merganser illustrated twice.

$5,000 - $8,000

ORLANDO “OS” BIBBER 1882-1970 | SOUTH HARPSWELL, ME

136

136 Red-Breasted Merganser Pair Orlando “Os” Bibber (1882-1970) South Harpswell, ME, c. 1910 19 in. long

An exceptional hollow pair of “Down East” merganser decoys with turned heads, horse-hair crests, and their original chamfered bottom boards. This important Maine carver only made decoys for his own rig. John Dinan, author of the Maine chapter in The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, calls the maritime chief engineer’s works “the best carvings on the coast.” Original paint with even gunning wear. Drake has gunning touch-up to the head, old marlin-wrap bill repair, bottom of horse hair crest is missing, and a few age lines at base of neck. Hen has a replaced bill and light scattered touch-up to flaking on head.

PROVENANCE: Phyllis Travares Anderson Collection Lew Horton Collection

LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1981, p. 39, exact drake illustrated in reverse.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., North American Decoys & Waterfowl Art, Hyannis, MA, July 11-12, 1989, cover, exact decoys illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

131

JOHN BROOKS

1879-1962 | FREELAND, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA

137

137 Preening Brant

John Brooks (1879-1962) Freeland, Prince Edward Island, Canada, c. 1930 13 in. long

This Maritime masterwork exhibits a deep preening head pose. It is mounted on a long steel rod for use as a stick-up decoy. Maritime Canada decoy specialists Dale and Gary Guyette discuss the relationship between Brooks’ decoys and John Ramsey’s, noting, “They are extremely similar except for having slightly different paint and rough undersides.”

Located off New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Prince Edward Island serves as an important stopover point for brant, which breed in the high Arctic tundra.

Original paint with even gunning wear, some discoloration to right side. Some original imperfections to wood, including knot in tail and age line along lower left side.

132

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 33, related John Ramsey example illustrated.

Dale and Gary Guyette, Decoys of Maritime Canada, Exton, PA, 1983, pp. 110-111, and 120, related brant discussed and illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, p. 276, closely related example illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

138

138 High-Head Red-Breasted Merganser Drake Seabrook, NH, c. 1890 18 1/2 in. long

A high-headed merganser with wooden crest inserts exhibiting a dynamic folk art style. A closely related example from The Peggy and David Rockefeller Collection is showcased on a two-page spread in the Delphs’ New England Decoys, where it is described as a 19th-century decoy having come from Rockport, Massachusetts, on Cape Ann. The distinct wide bodies, thin paddle tails, and high-head posture of these early Horton and Rockefeller decoys appear to make them forerunners to George Boyd’s three finest known mergansers, which were made in Seabrook, New Hampshire, circa 1910. Original paint with even gunning wear and appealing craquelure. A few tight neck cracks and tail chip have been stabilized with touch-up. Some age lines and one crack along the bottom.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1981, pp. 100-101, Rockefeller hen illustrated.

Christie’s, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lot 1041, Rockefeller hen illustrated.

Jim Cullen, Finely Carved and Nicely Painted: The Life, Art and Decoys of George H. Boyd, Seabrook, NH, 1873-1941, Rye, NH, 2009, p. 36, Boyd’s three finest mergansers illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

133

JOSEPH W. LINCOLN 1859-1938 | ACCORD, MA

139

139 Exemplary Yellowlegs Pair Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1910 11 in. long

A split-tailed shorebird duo with stippled paint and fine proportions. Original paint with even gunning wear, one has original imperfection on right side of tail and tight age line in head, the other bird has a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

$2,000 - $4,000

134

JOSEPH W. LINCOLN

1859-1938 | ACCORD, MA

140

140 Oversize Canada Goose Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1900 35 in. long

This Canada goose decoy displays Lincoln’s classic lines in a rare magnum format. Part of Lincoln’s genius was his ability to reduce the forms of his waterfowl carvings to their most simple elements. His carvings feature just the lines necessary to capture the essence of the species. His paint patterns were stylized and meant to give passing flight birds the impression of the “real thing” from afar. Lincoln carved elegant high heads for his decoys that give them a stately appearance.

Measuring over thirty-two inches with a very full body, this grand gander is certainly among the largest wooden decoys Lincoln created. In mix of original and old working paint with gunning wear and old fill to cracks in underside.

The underside of this oversize carving bears a white label with the following inked inscription: “Solid magnum Canada Goose

by Joe Lincoln. Used at Birch Point Gunning Club, Canton Reservoir, Canton, Mass. by Fred and Tom Jones 1915-1935. In collection of T. W. Clines Canton, From Ted Harmon. Oct 14, 1977...”

LITERATURE: George Ross Starr Jr., M.D., Decoys of the Atlantic Flyway, New York, NY, 1974, p. 151, fig. 73, related standard-size example illustrated.

PROVENANCE: Fred and Tom Jones Rig T. W. Clines Collection Ted Harmon Collection Lew Horton Collection

$4,000 - $6,000

135

JOSEPH W. LINCOLN 1859-1938 | ACCORD, MA

141

142

141 Plump Black-Bellied Plover

142 Yellowlegs

An outstanding split-tail black-bellied plover with a full body.

Cap Vinal chose a closely related example for the leading dedication page of his book on the maker. Original paint with even gunning wear, including some minor chipping at bill.

A yellowlegs decoy with pronounced raised wings and split-tail carving. A closely related example can be found on the dedication page of Cap Vinal’s book on the maker. Original paint with gunning wear, including dowel showing through left side of neck. Old replaced bill.

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1910 10 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Cap Vinal, Joseph W. Lincoln, Rockland, MA, 2002,

dedication page, closely related example illustrated. $5,000 - $8,000

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1890 11 in. long

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Cap Vinal, Joseph W. Lincoln, Rockland, MA, 2002, dedication page, closely related example illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

136

143

144

143 Yellowlegs

144 Golden Plover

A split-tailed shorebird decoy with excellent detailed feather paint. Closely related decoys with this fine form and paint were attributed to Joseph W. Lincoln, in Vinal’s book on the maker.

Original paint with light gunning wear and a ding to right brow.

Touch-up to filled chip under bill.

A classic Massachusetts plover with extensive stippling, carved from a one-and-three-quarter-inch board. Original paint with even gunning wear and a replaced bill.

South Shore, MA, c. 1900 11 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

South Shore, MA, c. 1910 10 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: E. Arthur “Doc” Robinson Collection Lew Horton Collection, acquired from the sale of the above

$700 - $1,000

LITERATURE: Cap Vinal, Joseph W. Lincoln, Rockland, MA, 2002, p. 62, related shorebirds illustrated.

$2,500 - $3,500

137

WILLIAM FISKE LARRABEE 1808-1853 | NANTUCKET, MA

145 The Larrabee Nantucket Curlew William Fiske Larrabee (1808-1853) Nantucket, MA, c. 1842 14 1/4 in. long

A grand shorebird decoy with a long and thin neck which fits the body with a mortise-and-tenon joint. This appears to be the first time this standout form has appeared in the decoy marketplace. The distinct pattern of this sculpture most closely relates to Nantucket’s “Mr. Webster” plover and sandpiper. A pair of these related plover, with their abstracted sweeping bodies and squared tails, has been sold recently in both the Peter Muller and Linda Johnson collections.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2020, Charleston, SC, February 15, 2020, lots 20 and 21, related Muller Webster pair illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2021, Plymouth, MA, July 9-10, 2021, lots 29 and 30, Johnson Webster pair illustrated.

$10,000 - $15,000

The underside bears an old white label with “Made and painted

by W. F. Larrabee October 1842” written in script. Faintly visible under the paint on the bottom are the stamped letters “WFL.”Larrabee was a prodigious mariner, records show he sailed up from Cuba to Boston in 1848. Two years later he headed west to San Francisco most likely following the California Gold Rush. A couple of years later, he sailed back to New York and passed shortly thereafter.

This is one of the earliest documented shorebird decoys that we have ever had the privilege of handling. Old working paint with moderate gunning wear, including some flaking. Old working bill, restoration to front of face.

Map of Nantucket, 1821.

138

Lot 145 showing the removable head.

THE LARRABEE NANTUCKET CURLEW

145

139

146 The Horton Hollow Nantucket Golden Plover Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 10 1/4 in. long

A featherlight, hollow plover with extraordinary carving and construction detail by a great unnamed Nantucket craftsman.

Very few of these early and delicate plover have survived in any condition, with the vast majority being found with significant repairs and repaint (see lot 149). The design, execution, and refinement of this form place it in the ranks of A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952), Fred Nichols (1854-1924), and Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) when these carvers were at their prime. Given the apparent age and the history of golden plover hunting on Nantucket, it is likely that this 19th-century sculpture predates the aforementioned masters by decades.

Along with the great dovetailed maker, this Nantucket carver is among the greatest craftsmen ever to construct a working shorebird decoy. These two early and unnamed makers routinely applied an elevated level of refinement both inside and outside of their distinct hollow shorebirds. This plover displays a very tight vertical body seam, which was hollowed to an egg-shell-thin hull. Like several of Crowell’s dust-jacket plover, the entire perimeter of the wing is raised. The thin raised and split wing tips are original and reminiscent of Nichols at his most daring. Flaring away from the wings is a

140

thin curved tail finished on both top and bottom with V-parted feathering. A mortise-and-tenon bill fits perfectly in an alert head with tack eyes.

Strong breeding plumage adorns the form. One bold white sweeping line on the head begins an S-curve that culminates with the raised-wing line. Lively gold, green, and white feathering color the topside, while black-and-white modeling evolves from the throat down to the tip of tail.

A small stick hole is placed at a steep angle, presenting this alert plover with purpose. This attention to stick placement assures both posture and balance to dance in the breeze.

This exceedingly rare decoy, along with two related examples held in the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Nantucket Shorebird Decoys, are among the very finest by this Island maker known. Original paint with light gunning wear, right wing tip has been reset.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

$65,000 - $85,000

THE HORTON HOLLOW NANTUCKET GOLDEN PLOVER

146

141

147 Nantucket Wind-Bird Willet Pair Nantucket, c. 1900 12 in. long

This featherweight pair of willet is hollowed out from the bottom, with wood even removed from the neck and tail. This graceful form was meant to balance on a stick and dance in the breeze. They are rigmates to the Mackey-McCleery example from the Johnson Collection of American Bird Decoys. Original paint with light gunning wear. One bird has wear to a slim chip along left breast edge, the other has some dings around split tail.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: John Clayton, Massachusetts Masters: Decoys, Shorebirds, and Decorative Carvings Exhibition Catalog, The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University, 2010, p. 114, exact decoys illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 319, rigmate illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p.

42, pl. 20 (middle), rigmate illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2021, Plymouth, MA, July 9-10, 2021, lot 15, rigmate illustrated.

$10,000 - $14,000

142

NANTUCKET WIND-BIRD WILLET PAIR

147

143

148

148 Morton Golden Plover Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 11 in. long

An early plover with dynamic and refined feather paint from tip to tail. The Morton decoys have been named for the rig of W. S. Morton (18091871), whose rig brand is commonly found in a distinct group of early flat-bottomed Nantucket decoys. The underside shows the side-by-side leg holes common to this maker. Original paint with even gunning wear and tight age lines in left side.

PROVENANCE: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, MA Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p.

144, lot 589, rigmate illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,500

149 Hollow Golden Plover Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 10 in. long 149

A featherlight hollow plover with a vertical seam as well as applied wings. Attesting to the phrase “birds of a feather stick together,” this plover, by the highly accomplished unknown Nantucket maker, was given to Crowell to repaint. The bird is in working repaint by A. Elmer Crowell (18621952). This hunting artifact combines one of the greatest unnamed carvers with the greatest bird painter of all time and a significant amount of gunning use. In Crowell repaint with heavy gunning wear, especially on left side which is flaked to mostly darkened wood. Hole in left breast is filled with cork, some stabilizing glue visible at body seams.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Eldred’s, Sporting and Military Items At Auction, July 28, 2005, front cover and lot 117A, exact decoy illustrated.

144

150

150 High-Head Yellowlegs Pair Massachusetts. c. 1880 11 in. long

A dynamic pair with thin necks in two distinct postures. Each is finished with lively brush work. Original paint with even gunning wear, the high head bird has some flaking to top of head and behind original fill line on back. Bills appear to be replaced.

PROVENANCE: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, MA Lew Horton Collection

$5,000 - $7,000

145

151

151 Minnow-in-Throat Lesser Yellowlegs Massachusetts, c. 1880 10 1/4 in. long

A rare yellowlegs form made with two-piece construction.

Original paint with moderate gunning wear, including roughness to tail and chips. Replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, MA Lew Horton Collection

$3,000 - $5,000

146

152

153

152 Golden Plover

Nantucket, MA, c. 1870 10 in. long

Nantucket Island was a stopover point along the spring and fall migration of golden plover. As a result, plover were once a staple of a coastal New Englander’s seasonal diet.

This bird displays some of the best paint design and application seen by this unnamed maker. Within the neatly defined wings is tight gold and black stippling. The neck and breast represent a transitional plumage with soft black feathering. Birds from this rig were collected by William J. Mackey Jr., John Hillman, and David Rockefeller. Original paint with light gunning wear and some rubs to back. Bill is an old replacement.

PROVENANCE: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, MA Lew Horton Collection

LITERATURE: Christie’s, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lot 1054 (bottom bird), rigmate illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p. 67, lot 246, rigmate illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 323, related example illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

153 Hollow Golden Plover Nantucket, MA, c. 1880 10 in. long

A featherlight golden plover displaying hollow three-piece construction, split-tail carving, and glass eyes. The thin hull is finished with a strong paint pattern. Original paint with some fading and even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection 147

154

154 Black-Bellied Plover Massachusetts, c. 1880 11 in. long

A classic Massachusetts beetle head with carved wings and a split tail. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, replaced bill, repair to hole in back, and fill to notch in wing tip and tail.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Christie’s, The Russell B. Aitken Collection of Waterfowl Decoys, New York, NY, January 18, 2003, lot 1100, rigmate illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,500

155 Black-Bellied Plover Hingham, MA, c. 1900 10 3/4 in. long 155

An elaborate plover in breeding plumage with raised wing tips and three-piece laminate construction. The primaries and tail have crisp incised feather detail. A stringing screw-eye is attached in the tapered thigh behind the stick hole. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Decoys & Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, July 13 & 14, 1982, lot 612, rigmate illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,500

156 Hollow Golden Plover Nantucket, MA, c. 1880 10 in. long 156

An exceedingly lightweight golden plover with gold and green stippling along the dark back. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, including an old worn chip to left tail edge.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

148

157

158

157 Willet

Charles W. Thomas (b. 1875) Assinippi, MA, c. 1900 16 in. long

A full-bodied willet with incised wing carving. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, a chip to the top of the tail, and uneven varnish.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Sessions I & II, lot 478, rigmate illustrated.

158 Willet Pair

South Shore, MA, c. 1900 16 in. long

A large pair of shorebird decoys with thin necks and pronounced heads, carved from a one-and-three-quarters-inch board. The tops of the heads are adorned with the striped plumage of the curlew. Original paint with age lines in the larger bird. Paint drip on smaller bird’s left cheek. Bills appear to be replaced.

PROVENANCE: E. Arthur “Doc” Robinson Collection Lew Horton Collection, acquired from the sale of the above

$3,000 - $5,000

149

160.1

160.2

159.1

159.2

159 Outstanding Dowitcher Pair Old Saybrook, CT, c. 1900 11 1/4 in. long

A full-bodied pair with raised wings and distinctive incised wing feathering. This plump dowitcher pair displays high necks and ornate wing primary feather carvings. A rigmate was featured on the front cover of a 1983 Bourne catalog. A related plover by this unnamed maker, collected by Dr. James McCleery, was marked by William J. Mackey Jr, as Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Original paint with light gunning wear. One bird has minor chips and a few age/grain lines.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

150

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Bird Decoys, Bird Carvings, and Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, July 1983, front cover, rigmate illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p. 55, pl. XXIII, related example illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 560, related example illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

159

160

160 Yellowlegs Pair

Old Saybrook, CT, c. 1900 11 in. long

A plump yellowlegs pair with high necks and ornate primary feather carvings. A related plover by this unnamed maker, collected by Dr. James McCleery, was marked by William J. Mackey Jr., as Old Saybrook, Connecticut. These birds are rigmates to the previous lot. Original paint with even gunning wear.

One bird has chips to wing tips, the other has wing tip restoration.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 164, pl. 390, related example illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 560, related example illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Bird Decoys, Bird Carvings, and Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, July 1983, front cover, related example illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

151

161

161 Yellowlegs

George H. Boyd (1873-1941) Seabrook, NH, c. 1910 11 in. long

A classic Boyd yellowlegs decoy with tight stippled paint. In original paint with moderate gunning wear, including age lines in breast and dings in top of head. Touch-up to neck crack and replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

$1,000 - $1,500

162 Hatch-Rig Willet Ralph D. Hatch Rig Marshfield, MA, c. 1900 13 1/2 in. long

162

A grand sandpiper with three-piece laminate construction. The underside is branded “RALPH D. HATCH.” Original paint with even gunning wear, rust bleed, and chipping to end of reset wing tips.

PROVENANCE: Ralph D. Hatch Rig Joseph B. French Collection Lew Horton Collection

$1,500 - $2,500

163 Yellowlegs on Wire Legs Massachusetts, c. 1900 12 1/4 in. long, 15 3/4 in. tall

A life-size, one-and-a-half-inch-thick silhouette decoy with a wire bill and a pair of wire legs.

Original paint with moderate gunning wear and a grain lift on back.

163

152

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

164 Black-Bellied Plover

Obediah Verity (1813-1901) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 11 in. long

164

A Verity black-bellied plover in a forward-reaching pose with incised wing detail. The belly of this plover is exceedingly plump. The V-carving within the wing tips is also notably extended. The underside bears the following inked inscription: “From Lloyd Johnson Col. - H. Osborn - L.I. B.B. Plover 1890.” Osborn was the name associated with these decoys prior to the Verity attribution. In old working paint with gunning wear. Minor touch-up to flake on left wing tip.

PROVENANCE: Lloyd Johnson Collection Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1974, Sessions VII & VIII, lot 414, rigmate illustrated.

165

$2,500 - $3,500

165 Rare Peep

Captain Al Ketchum Amityville, Long Island, NY, c. 1900 8 in. long

A sandpiper decoy with raised wing and eye groove carving. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Robert D. Congdon Collection, Nantucket, MA Lew Horton Collection

166 Yellowlegs

Wilbur R. Corwin (1852-1914) Bellport, Long Island, NY, c. 1890 12 1/2 in. long

166

An alert shorebird decoy with a slightly turned and canted head, brass round-head-screw eyes, slightly raised wing carving, and the maker’s crisp “WC” rig brand. Original paint with even gunning wear and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

153

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

167 Exceptional Challenge-Grade Merganser Drake

168 Challenge-Grade Merganser Hen

A very strong example showing one of Mason’s most successful decoy forms. A closely related example was chosen for the front dust-jacket cover of Goldberger and Haid’s 1993 Mason Decoys book and a rigmate can be found on the inside.

A closely related example was chosen for the front dust-jacket cover of Goldberger and Haid’s 1993 Mason Decoys book. The underside bears the brand “Q. A. Shaw.” Original paint with gunning wear and a tight crack along the underside.

The underside bears the brand “Q. A. Shaw.” Excellent original paint with light gunning wear and a tight crack along the underside.

PROVENANCE: Quentin A. Shaw Rig, Eastham, Massachusetts Lew Horton Collection

PROVENANCE: Quentin A. Shaw Rig, Eastham, Massachusetts Lew Horton Collection

LITERATURE: Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Complete Pictorial Guide, Lewes, DE, 1993, front dust-jacket cover, closely related example illustrated, p. 73, rigmate illustrated.

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 17 in. long

LITERATURE: Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Complete Pictorial Guide, Lewes, DE, 1993, front dust-jacket cover, closely related example illustrated, p. 73, rigmate illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Complete Pictorial Guide, Lewes, DE, 1993, front dust-jacket cover, showing closely related examples.

154

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 17 in. long

168

167

155

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

169

169 Special-Order Luce-Rig Mason Merganser Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 18 in. long

A turned-head example of one of the factory’s most coveted species, this rare special-order model shows the factory’s challenge-grade details. To Mason’s credit, for many years these Luce-Rig mergansers were attributed to Martha’s Vineyard’s early master, Capt. Benjamin Smith (1866-1946).

The underside is branded for the M. Luce Jr. rig. Original paint with even gunning wear, including tight flaking to back and restoration to neck seam.

PROVENANCE: M. Luce Jr. Rig Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Stanley Murphy, Martha’s Vineyard Decoys, Boston, MA, 1978, p. 108, pl. 85, similar decoy illustrated.

$2,500 - $3,500

156

“Striking a regal pose, this Dodge drake wood duck is, no doubt, the finest example extant. In fact, it is the only example of this species in original paint known to the authors.”

— Ron Sharp and Bill Dodge, Detroit Decoy Dynasty

170

157

J. N. DODGE FACTORY 1883-1893 | DETROIT, MI

170 The Dodge Wood Duck

J. N. Dodge Factory (1883-1893) Detroit, MI, c. 1885 16 1/4 in. long

This is the only wood duck known to have survived in original paint from the early and esteemed Dodge Factory. Beyond its rarity, this is among the finest wood ducks and factory decoys extant. In the 1981 book Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway, decoy historian and author Alan G. Haid sums the bird up, writing: “A classic. The finest example known from the Dodge Factory.”

In their book, Detroit Decoy Dynasty: The Factory Decoys of Petersen, Dodge, and Mason, Ron Sharp and Bill Dodge relate that Jasper Newton Dodge (1829-1909) was a decoy maker in the 1870s who worked alongside William Mason at a gun store in Detroit. In 1881 Mason bought the gun store and most likely hired Dodge to supply the store with decoys. The Dodge Factory’s early run from 1883 to 1893 places its entire production years ahead of the prolific Mason Decoy Factory, which was in operation from 1896 to 1924.

In his catalog, Dodge described his decoys and his process of construction as follows: “All my decoys are made of thoroughly kiln dried White Cedar. No. 1’s are made of selected pieces, every one perfect. They are the exact size and shape, and painted to closely imitate the duck they are intended to represent. The heads are made a perfect imitation in every way, each variety having a different shape, according to the shape of the bird. They are attached to the body with a half inch hard maple dowel, well glued in, and cannot be easily broken off or removed. They have the best English Enamelled Glass Eyes, colored exactly the same as the natural bird. All have four coats of the best paint, ground in oil, thoroughly applied, and given plenty of time to dry between the coats. The heads are placed on the bodies turned in different directions, which gives them a very life-like appearance. Being the same shape they ride the water like a duck. They are pronounced by all sportsmen to be the best that are made.”

In the caption below the full-page illustration of this carving, the authors of Detroit Decoy Dynasty write, “Striking a regal pose, this Dodge drake wood duck is, no doubt, the finest example extant. In fact, it is the only example of this species in original paint known to the authors.”

For years this early and exceptional Dodge summer duck resided in the same esteemed collection as the Mason wood duck drake. The Mason, which was made decades later, and was directly inspired by Dodge, sold for $690,000 in 2014, placing it among the top ten decoys ever sold at auction.

The form, paint, rarity, species, literature selections, and critical

158

exaltations of this decoy place it among the most important 19th-century factory waterfowl decoys known. Excellent original paint with moderate gunning wear. Bill and chip to top of head have been professionally restored. Touch-up to front left corner of neck putty.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection LITERATURE: Alan G. Haid, Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway, Exton, PA, 1981, p. 71, exact decoy illustrated.

Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Pictorial Guide, Updated Edition, Lewes, DE, 2014, p. 158, exact decoy illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, North American Decoys at Auction, April 25 & 26, 2002, St. Charles, IL, front cover and lot 651, exact decoy illustrated.

Ron Sharp and Bill Dodge, Detroit Decoy Dynasty: The Factory Decoys of Petersen, Dodge, and Mason, Lawsonville, NC, 2009, p. 146, exact decoy illustrated.

The Call of the Wild, The Dixon Gallery and Garden Exhibition Catalog, January 2007, p. 91, exact carving illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Memphis, Tennessee, The Call of the Wild, The Dixon

Gallery and Garden, November 12, 2006–January 7, 2007 $50,000 - $70,000

THE DODGE WOOD DUCK

170

159

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

171

171 Salesman’s Sample Robin Snipe Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1905 10 in. long

A one-of-a-kind, life-size salesman’s sample shorebird decoy by the Mason Decoy Factory inscribed “Robin Snipe, $7.00.

Dz.” on the underside. This “A-1”-grade shorebird decoy exhibits glass eyes, spring-to-summer plumage in its painted feather detail, as well as an early swirled, stippled, and outlined speculum. Given its sublime condition, excellent color, and provenance, this is perhaps the finest Mason robin snipe known to exist.

Historically, salesmen would carry examples of the decoys illustrated in the catalog in their pursuit of orders for their company. This example was one of the six salesman’s sample decoys, each a different species, acquired by noted New Jersey collector Mort Hanson.

The underside also bears the Doherty Collection collection sticker. Original paint with minor wear, including minor flaking in the bill insertion area.

160

PROVENANCE: Unknown Mason salesman Mort Hanson Collection Private Collection, Midwest James and Pat Doherty Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Byron Cheever, Mason Decoys, Spanish Fork, UT, 1974, p. 132, related decoy illustrated in the Mason Factory catalog.

Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Pictorial Guide, Lewes, DE, 1993, pp. 98-99, similar decoys illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Winter Sale 2013, New York, NY, January 2013, lot 206, exact decoy illustrated.

$8,000 - $12,000

MASON DECOY FACTORY

1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

172

172 Early Premier-Grade Pintail Drake Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1900 17 1/2 in. long

Though found in good numbers, Mason pintails rarely maintain the level of fine condition and form of grand premier-grade examples.

A hollow pintail drake from the renowned Detroit establishment. The bird was finished with strong swirled and stippled paint from head to tail.

Mason declared themselves the “Largest Manufacturers Of High Grade Decoys In The World!” in a turn-of-the-century advertisement. The Mason Decoy Factory represents the apex of factory-made decoys. The underside bears a “Dr. J.B. Hench / Hinsdale, ILL.” brand. Hinsdale is a western suburb of

Chicago. Original paint with even gunning wear and minor touchup to bill and tail tips and lower edge of right neck seam.

PROVENANCE: Dr. J.B. Hench Rig Private Collection LITERATURE: Russ J. Goldberger and Alan Haid, Mason Decoys: A Pictorial Guide, Updated Edition, Lewes, DE, 2014, p. 33, related early example illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

161

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

173

173 Premier-Grade Mallard Pair

174

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1900 17 3/4 in. long

This pair is found in the factory’s most popular mallard style, similar to the famous G.K. Schmidt rig. Drake is in strong original paint with light wear and touch-up to neck seam and tail.

The hen has been professionally restored.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington

State

$2,000 - $3,000

174 Premier-Grade Blue-Winged Teal Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 13 in. long

A hollow drake with glass eyes and finely carved bill detail. The underside bears a “H.C.W.” stencil. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, replaced bill, and slight touch-up on back.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$3,000 - $4,000

162

MASON DECOY FACTORY

1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

175 Challenge-Grade Bluebill Drake Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1915 15 in. long

175

A broadbill with a nice dry and even surface. Original paint with even gunning wear, hairline crack in neck, faint age lines in body, and tight crack along underside.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$600 - $900

176 Glass-Eye Wigeon Drake

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1900 14 1/2 in. long

176

A paddle-tailed, standard-grade model of this rare Mason species. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some glue to tight crack along underside, some tight age lines in breast, slight imperfection to wood above right neck seam and minor touch-up to neck seam. Overall good condition for this hard-to-find species.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$2,000 - $3,000

177

177 Mallard Hen

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1900 17 in. long

A premier-grade hollow mallard hen with an upswept tail. In mix of original paint with gunning wear and restored paint and a tail chip restoration.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington

State

$2,000 - $2,500

163

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

178

178 Pintail Drake

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1900 19 in. long

A hollow decoy with strong swirl paint, carved bill detail, and an owner’s brand on the underside. Original paint with gunning wear, old fill in shot holes. Even coat of varnish has mellowed to a warm patina.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$4,500 - $6,500

164

Duckhorn Vineyard’s famous Decoy wine featuring a related Janson pintail drake.

RICHARD “FRESH AIR DICK” JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA, CA

“Truly, he was the West’s most important master carver.”

—Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast

179

179 Pintail Pair

Richard “Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma, CA, c. 1940 17 1/2 in. long

Through Duckhorn Vineyard’s famous Decoy wine line, Janson’s pintail drake has become perhaps the world’s most recognized decoy. Furthermore, a related pair was chosen to illustrate the front dust-jacket cover of Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast.

This pintail pair exhibits fine bill and wing-tip detail. They were never rigged and are in excellent condition. Excellent original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, front cover, related pair illustrated.

$2,500 - $3,500

165

RICHARD “FRESH AIR DICK” JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA, CA

180

180 Canvasback Pair

Richard “Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma, CA, c. 1930 15 in. long

Often regarded as the West Coast’s most renowned maker, Janson carved this canvasback pair with incised bill and tail detail. The maker’s pintail pair was chosen for the front cover of Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast. Excellent representations of the maker’s carving, both feature Janson’s integrated keels carved out of the backside. The drake’s head is slightly turned. Drake is in original paint with light gunning wear and some touch-up, mostly to white along sides and to one spot on back. Hen is in repaint.

166

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Davis, CA, 1986, front cover, similar carvings illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

RICHARD “FRESH AIR DICK” JANSON 1872-1951 | SONOMA, CA

181

181 Rare Mallard Pair

Richard “Fresh Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) Sonoma, CA, c. 1930 16 1/2 in. long

A mallard pair with raised wing tips and incised tail feather detail. The hen has the rare construction of having been hollowed from the breast. The male bears an incised “J0603963-CA” inscription on the underside. Both are in original paint with moderate gunning wear and some touch-up. Drake has tight reset neck crack and a replaced tail. Hen has some traces of overpaint.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 147, related carvings illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

167

182

182 Swimming Mallard Drake Charles Pice (1890-1958) Astoria, OR, c. 1930 17 1/2 in. long

An animated hollow mallard with an uplifted head and paddle tail. Original paint with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, p. 94. related carving illustrated.

$1,000 - $1,500

183 Pintail Drake 183

Jake Ferreira (1904-1981) Newark, CA, c. 1935 17 in. long

Ferreira was a highly regarded maker whose carvings were used in the 1930s and 40s by hunting clubs in San Francisco’s South Bay. This hollow pintail exhibits incised, raised wings, and a thin neck. Original paint with light gunning wear, touch-up to bill, top of head, and reset crack at top of neck.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Portland, OR, 1989, pp. 220 and 221, related examples illustrated.

184

$1,000 - $1,500

184 High-Head Pintail Drake California, c. 1950 19 1/4 in. long

An attractive sprig tail with an exceptionally high head and split and raised wing tips. The scapular paint on the back was applied in distinctive “swoosh” shapes. Original paint with even gunning wear, reset neck, and replaced tail.

168

CHARLES H. PERDEW 1874-1963 | HENRY, IL

185

185 Early Pintail Drake

Charles H. Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1920 16 1/2 in. long

An fine early example featuring the maker’s deep three-piecebody construction and scratch-comb feather detail. Branded “FJ” on the underside. In excellent gunning paint by Edna Perdew with even hunting wear, and a neck crack.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$4,500 - $6,500

169

WALTER J. RUPPEL

1902-1999 | SHEBOYGAN, WI, AND PORTLAND, OR

186

188

187

189

186 Hissing Canada Goose

Walter J. Ruppel (1902-1999) Sheboygan, WI, and Portland, OR, 1974 23 in. long

An exceptional hissing Canada goose with a turned neck and the maker’s incised signature and inscription on the underside.

Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$300 - $500

187 Green-Winged Teal Pair

Walter J. Ruppel (1902-1999) Sheboygan, WI, and Portland, OR, 1973 10 1/2 in. long

The W. J. Ruppel Company of Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon, after WWII, produced these turned-head feeding decoys. These green-winged teal bear the maker’s incised signature and date on the undersides. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$200 - $300

170

188 Wigeon

Walter J. Ruppel (1902-1999) Sheboygan, WI, and Portland, OR, 1975 13 in. long

A slightly turned-head wigeon with Ruppel’s incised signature and date on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$200 - $300

189 Blue-Winged Teal

Walter J. Ruppel (1902-1999) Sheboygan, WI, and Portland, OR, 1975 10 1/2 in. long

A turned-head teal with Ruppel’s incised signature and date on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$200 - $300

HIRAM “HY” HOTZE

1886-1977 | PEORIA, IL

190

190 Mallard Pair

Hiram “Hy” Hotze (1886-1977) Peoria, IL, c. 1930 16 1/4 in. long

This hollow Illinois River mallard pair displays all of the elements of the maker’s refined craftsmanship and Jack Franks’ original signature paint. Franks was employed to paint not only Hotze’s decoys, but also many of Charles Shoenheider’s best decoys as well. These carvings have elegant wing tips, which draw back to a sharp point, abruptly dropping into the spade tail. Franks saved some of his most elaborate paint detail for his hens, which feature intricate “cut brush” stippling throughout most of the body. Proud of his work, Hotze is known to have signed and dated the inside of some of his hollowed bodies. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, including some rubs.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Stephen O’Brien and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 114, similar decoys illustrated.

Alan Haid, Decoys of the Mississippi Flyway, Exton, PA, 1981, p. 172, similar bird illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

171

191

191 Bluebill

Robert Elliston (1847-1925) Bureau, IL, c. 1900 13 in. long

192

A fine hollow decoy with its original Elliston-stamped lead-strip weight by the “Father of Illinois River.” The surface features Catherine Elliston’s (1849-1953) excellent original paint. Elliston may not have made bluebill hens. That said, early on this bird had white added behind the bill to represent a hen.

Profiting from the influx of “sports” on nearby Lake Senachwine, the Ellistons were among the region’s earliest commercial decoy makers. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some old fill to several shot scars, working white paint behind bill, minor touch-up to black, and faint age line in neck. Overall good condition for this early decoy.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$3,000 - $5,000

192 VL&A Duck Call

Charles H. Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1930 6 in. long

The side of this hand-carved, checkered-teardrop call bears an incised “VL&A.” Formed in early 1891, the Von Lengerke & Antoinne company quickly became a very prominent sporting goods store in

Chicago. As found with light wear and a replaced wedge block.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Ann Tandy Lacy, Perdew: An Illinois Tradition, Muncie, IN, 1993, p. 187, related calls illustrated and discussed.

$800 - $1,200

172

CHARLES H. PERDEW 1874-1963 | HENRY, IL

193

193 Mallard Drake

Charles H. Perdew (1874-1963) Henry, IL, c. 1950 16 in. long

In addition to making decoys and innovative bird calls, Perdew was a market gunner, a trapper, and a carpenter who helped build Chicago’s Worlds Fair of 1893-1894. He also owned a gun shop at one time.

An Illinois River hollow-carved mallard decoy with glass eyes and a lead-strip weight on the underside. This sharp example was rigged, but does not appear to have been used, helping to preserve its excellent condition. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Ann Tandy Lacy, Perdew: An Illinois Tradition, Muncie, IN, 1993, p. 215, related decoys illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

173

G. BERT GRAVES 1880-1956 | PEORIA, IL

194

195

194 Pintail Drake

G. Bert Graves (1880-1956) Peoria, IL, c. 1930 18 in. long

A hollow Graves pintail with the maker’s signature lead weight on the underside. The body is finished with Millie Graves’ exceptional paint, especially on the back and scapulars. This exact decoy, along with a sleeping mallard hen, was selected to represent Graves in Decoys: A North American Survey. Original paint with moderate gunning wear with some wear to wood at breast and tail tip.

195 Mallard Pair

G. Bert Graves (1880-1956) Peoria, IL, c. 1930 17 1/4 in. long

A fine pair of hollow mallards with exceptional comb-feather paint detail. Both birds retain their “G.B. Graves Decoy Co. Peoria, ILL” weights, “E. I. Rogers” brands, and “Cleary” stencils on the bottom. The fastidious painter appears to have applied the speculum and adjacent grey area twice while finishing the bird. This attention to painting detail is also a hallmark of Lem Ward’s paint. Original paint with even gunning wear. The hen has a crack on the right side of the neck.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys: A North American

Survey, Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 243, exact decoy illustrated. $3,000 - $4,000 174

$4,500 - $6,500

JOHN BLAIR SR.

1843-1929 | PHILADELPHIA, PA

“John Blair and John English set standards of excellence that have been used as a pinnacle for all other carvers of the Delaware River school to seek, perhaps to come close to matching, but to never attain in all the years that have since come and gone.”

—Harrison Huster and Doug Knight, Floating Sculpture

196

175

JOHN BLAIR SR.

1843-1929 | PHILADELPHIA, PA

196

196 Early Swimming Wigeon John Blair Sr. (1843-1929) Philadelphia, PA, c. 1870 14 1/2 in. long

An exceptionally hollow, round-bottomed Delaware River decoy with a thin neck, swimming posture, and plump form.

This early decoy is held tightly together with cut finish nails.

The excellent sculpture was finished with the stylish paint pattern that has come to define the Philadelphia style. Original and working paint with touch-up and moderate gunning wear, including age lines at nails. Restoration to tail edge and bill.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Loy S. Harrell, Jr., Decoys-North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, p. 179, related decoy illustrated.

Hal Sorenson, “The Blair Mystery,” Decoy Collector’s Guide, Burlington, IA, 1977, p. 73, related decoy illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

Photo courtesy of the Blair family.

176

JOHN ENGLISH

1848-1915 | FLORENCE, NJ

197

197 Early High-Head Pintail Drake John English (1848-1915) Florence, NJ, c. 1880 16 in. long

English’s eminence as the “father” of the Delaware River school of carving is documented by virtually every authority from the region. Robert “Bob” White describes English as “the ultimate Delaware River carver.” Author Kenneth L. Gosner notes, “The work of John English set a standard against which other Delaware River makers have been measured and compared ever since. Indeed, for many collectors, the English style is the Delaware River style.”

English was in complete command of his artistry when creating this hollow decoy, which exhibits refined features, from the thin bill and high neck to the precise raised wing-tip carving that marks the region’s style. This early work is one of the few English decoys that relates closely to the Delaware River’s masterwork, the O’Brien English pintail, which holds the regional record at $246,000.

The underside bears a “J.D. PERKINS” brand which is partly obscured by a lead pad weight. The Perkins rig is know for having included a number of English’s best surviving forms.

Early working paint with even gunning wear, a upper neck crack, and chipped tail.

PROVENANCE: J.D. Perkins Rig Jim Stokes Rig Peter Bartlett Collection Private Collection, Washington State LITERATURE: Harrison H. Huster and Doug Knight, Floating Sculptures: The Decoys of the Delaware River, Spanish Fork, UT, 1982, p. 61, related low-head example illustrated.

Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter, North American Decoys at Auction, St. Charles, IL, 2013, lot 563, exact decoy illustrated.

Allen Linkchorst, “John English,” Decoy Magazine, March/April 2000, front cover and pp. 8-12, O’Brien English pintail illustrated.

$10,000 - $14,000

177

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

198 Winthrop-Rig Pintail Pair A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 19 1/2 and 16 1/4 in. long

An excellent pair of cork decoys with wooden heads and a wooden sprig in the drake. The wooden bottom boards were marked with Crowell’s crisp oval brand and the “F. WINTHROP” brand. The hen’s rig brand has been carved out.

Robert Winthrop is remembered as being instrumental in the formation of Ducks Unlimited, one of the largest, private, nonprofit organizations in the world.

Elmer Crowell, along with Thomas Gelston and Lou Rathmell, are known for their mastery of cork. Other examples from this important rig have been held in the O’Brien and McCleery collections. Original paint with moderate wear, hen has touch-up to neck and body seams, and restored tail tip.

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 176, rigmate pair illustrated.

Richard W. Oliver and Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, The First Annual Auction of Decoys & Antique Sporting Collectibles, February 12, 1987, front cover, rigmate pintails illustrated.

Sotheby’s and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, January 22–23, 2000, lot 65, rigmate illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III, July, 2018, lot 70, rigmates illustrated.

$10,000 - $15,000

PROVENANCE: Fred Winthrop Rig, acquired from the artist, c. 1920 Robert Winthrop, by descent from the above Private Collection, Washington State

Jack Reeves (left) and Robert Winthrop (right) at Long Point.

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198

179

199

200

199 Pintail Hen

200 Long-Tailed Pair

A hollow decoy exhibiting inset glass eyes and the maker’s fine feathering. Stamped “DSC” on the underside. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some flaking, possible working grey on shoulders, and one-half bill replacement.

This hollow pair is signed and dated with the maker’s stamp and inscribed with his signature on the bottoms. Original paint with minimal wear.

Clark C. Madara (1883-1953) Pitman, NJ, c. 1920 16 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Dave Campbell Collection

Private Collection, Washington State

LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Philadelphia, PA, 2011, p. 162, pl. 339, similar decoy illustrated.

$1,000 - $2,000

180

Hector “Heck” Whittington (1907-1981) Oglesby, IL, 1976 18 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Washington State

$1,000 - $1,500

PETER CORBIN B. 1942

“Tumbling down from the heavens, the sheer thrill of seeing and shooting honkers in the field is hard to express!”

—Stephen O’Brien Jr. 201

201 Peter Corbin (b. 1945)

Goose Shooting, 1981 signed and dated “Peter Corbin 1981©” lower right oil on canvas, 20 by 30 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

$5,000 - $10,000

181

BRETT JAMES SMITH B. 1958

202

202 Brett James Smith (b. 1958) Retriever and Two Hunters signed “Brett J Smith” lower right watercolor, 21 1/4 by 29 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey

$3,500 - $4,500

182

WILLIAM J. KOELPIN SR. 1938-1996

203

203 William J. Koelpin Sr. (1938-1996)

Winnebago Sleigh Ride, 1993 signed, titled and dated “Wm Koelpin ‘93” on base bronze, 13 by 23 1/2 by 8 1/2 in. edition 21 of 32

William Koelpin was an avid hunter and fisherman from Wisconsin. He went on to become a celebrated sporting artist who excelled in a number of mediums, including bronze, paint, and wood. Throughout his career, Koelpin displayed his passion for the outdoors in his accurate and detailed works.

His first sold-out exhibit was at the Midwest Decoy Collectors’ annual show in the mid-1970s. Koelpin enjoyed many honors in his time, including the “Best in World” award from the Ward Museum in Salisbury, Maryland, and being named “One of

America’s Premier Artists” by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. Winnebago Sleigh Ride is considered to be one of Koelpin’s top duck hunting bronzes.

They also reside atop the list of any bronze of this subject by any artist.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Wisconsin

$6,000 - $8,000

183

BRETT JAMES SMITH B. 1958

204

204 Brett James Smith (b. 1958) Mountain Pool signed “Brett J. Smith ©” lower right oil on canvas, 17 3/4 by 24 in. signed and titled on back

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$3,000 - $5,000

184

PETER CORBIN B. 1945

205 Peter Corbin (b. 1945)

205

Two Toms, 1987 signed and dated “Peter Corbin 87” lower right acrylic on canvas, 12 by 9 in. signed and titled on label on back

206

206 Peter Corbin (b. 1945) Working the Bank signed “P. Corbin” lower left acrylic on board, 8 1/4 by 12 in.

A fine small work depicting trout fishing.

185

MARK A. SUSINNO B. 1957

207

207 Mark A. Susinno (b. 1957)

Always on the Move, 2021 signed and dated “Mark A. Susinno 2021” lower right oil on linen on panel, 24 by 36 in. titled, dated, and signed on back

Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, Mark Susinno attended the Pratt Institute in New York. Upon graduation with highest honors and a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting in 1979, he went to work as a torch-cutter and truck driver for a scrap metal and dismantling firm in Brooklyn. A twomonth-long cross-country road trip led Mark to leave the city for Maryland in 1982, where he continued to engage in artistic pursuits while working at various non-art-related jobs. While working as a fabricator of bullet-proof doors, Mark won the 1986 Maryland Trout Stamp contest and decided to concentrate on art professionally. Since then, he has specialized in painting underwater depictions of freshwater and saltwater game fish, scenes of fly fishermen plying their craft, and aboveand below-water landscapes, working primarily in oil and acrylic. Along the way, Mark has added twenty more fishing stamps to his list of credits, including the 1991 First-of-State Pennsylvania Trout/Salmon Stamp and the 2004 First-of-State Texas Freshwater Stamp. Since 1987, Mark’s limited-edition prints have been published by Wild Wings.

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Mark Susinno is the 2022 Featured Artist for the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. 50% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will go directly to BTT, whose mission is to conserve and enhance global bonefish, tarpon, and permit fisheries and their environment through stewardship, research, education, and advocacy. The BTT serves as a repository for information on the life history of these species and works internationally with anglers, guides, scientists, regulators, and the public to nurture and enhance fish populations. $7,000 - $10,000

CHET RENESON

B. 1934

208

208 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Leaping Tarpon signed “Reneson” lower left acrylic on board, 21 by 35 in.

Chet Reneson graduated from the University of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1960. Reneson’s art teacher, Henrik Mayer, emphasized the importance of simplicity and taught the values of light, dark, and strong. This laid the foundation for Reneson’s unmistakable style. For the past fifty years, Reneson’s painting has remained true to his early mentor’s teaching, encompassing many subjects, including wildlife, duck hunting, upland bird shooting, big game fishing, fly fishing, and Bahamian scenes. Reneson’s work has graced the covers of Sporting Classics, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Sports

Afield, among others. He is a past member of the Connecticut Watercolor Association and the Old Lyme Art Association. He was the Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 1982, the Atlantic Salmon Federation Artist of the Year in 1982 and 2001, and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Artist of the Year in 2018. There are two books published on Reneson’s work, Shadow on the Flats and The Watercolors of Chet Reneson. $5,000 - $7,000

187

CHET RENESON B. 1934

209

209 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Canvasback Hunting signed “Reneson” lower right acrylic on board, 21 by 35 1/4 in.

210

$5,000 - $7,000

210 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Fishermen in Green Canoe signed “Reneson” lower left acrylic on board, 21 by 35 in. $5,000 - $7,000

188

DAVID HODGES B. 1949

211

211 David Hodges (b. 1949)

Royal Flush, 2003 signed and dated “Hodges ©2003” on base bronze, 17 1/4 by 33 1/2 by 10 in.

212

Dave Hodges became interested in artwork at a very young age. He began his professional career as a bronze sculptor in 1982 after graduating with a BS degree from Montana State University in Bozeman. Since then, Hodges has created sculptures in a wide array of subjects and sizes, from miniatures to monuments, and authored Book of Bronze: Creating Sculptures from Clay to Bronze. $4,000 - $6,000

212 David Hodges (b. 1949)

Ready to Rumble, 2008 signed and dated “Hodges ©2008” on base bronze, 13 by 18 1/2 in. edition 13 of 30 titled and signed on plaque on side of base $1,200 - $1,800

189

RODGER MCPHAIL BRITISH, B. 1953

213

213 Rodger McPhail (British, b. 1953) Stag and Grouse signed “R. McPhail” lower right watercolor, 25 by 32 1/4 in. $6,000 - $9,000

214 Rodger McPhail (British, b. 1953)

Chukars, 1975 signed and dated “R. McPhail ‘75” lower right watercolor, 13 by 18 1/2 in. $2,000 - $3,000

190

214

215

216

215 Georg Hanel (German, 1879-1945) Stag signed “G. Hanel” lower left oil on canvas, 28 by 34 in.

216

A well-executed impressionistic work following in the style of Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865-1926) and Carl Rungius (1869-1959). $2,000 - $4,000

216 Carl Rungius (1869-1959) Scanning the Horizon signed “C. Rungius” lower right etching, 6 1/4 by 8 1/2 in.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Alfred F. King III Private Collection, Massachusetts

191

BASIL EDE 1931-2016

217

217 Basil Ede (1931-2016)

218 Basil Ede (1931-2016)

EXHIBITED: New York, Grand Central Art Galleries, The Call of the

EXHIBITED: New York, Grand Central Art Galleries, The Call of the

$2,000 - $3,000

$2,000 - $3,000

Mandarin Ducks, 1967 signed and dated “Basil Ede 1967” lower left gouache, 25 1/2 by 12 1/2 in.

Grand Central Art Galleries, New York label on back

Wild...The Primal Adventure, October 18 - November 10, 1984.

192

218

Mallards, 1967 signed and dated “Basil Ede 1967” lower right gouache, 25 1/2 by 12 1/2 in.

Grand Central Art Galleries, New York label on back

Wild...The Primal Adventure, October 18 - November 10, 1984.

ARTHUR B. SINGER 1917-1990

219 Arthur B. Singer (1917-1990)

219

Kingfisher, 1980 signed and dated “Arthur Singer © 1980” lower right gouache on board, 34 by 22 in. $600 - $900

220 Arthur B. Singer (1917-1990) Avocet signed “Arthur Singer” lower right oil on canvas, 18 by 24 in.

220

$800 - $1,200

221 Arthur B. Singer (1917-1990)

Lioness in the Serengeti Plain, 1983 signed and dated “Arthur Singer Dec. 1983” lower left oil on board, 24 by 36 in. signed and titled on back

221

193

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

“Stephen W. Ward (1895-1976) and his brother Lemuel Travis Ward (18961984) of Crisfield, Maryland were by far the most prominent Chesapeake Bay carvers of the twentieth century and among the greatest and most influential bird carvers of all time. The brothers worked closely together throughout their lives, combining the complementary talents of Steve’s hand carving and Lem’s brushwork to create works of extraordinary grace and realism.”

— Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America 222 The Haid Cavanaugh Ward Mallard Drake The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1936-1942 17 in. long

In describing a closely related bird, Ward author Ronald Gard details the nuance of the makers’ progression to this “Classic Mallard Drake.” “This wonderful decoy,” he states, “has all the ingredients of a 1936 classic but seems to be a slightly more proportioned bird…the Wards have moved the design up one notch.”

This lot features Steve’s excellent carving with a phenomenal turned head, sleek body, and thin rounded tail at an upward angle. The carving was finished with Lem’s excellent brushwork.

The underside of this bird was painted with a red “Cavanaugh Motors” English-Setter-logo stencil on a white background. Some of the white bottom paint has been removed from the edges of the bottom. Cavanaugh Motors Inc. was a long-standing car dealership in Salisbury, Maryland, home of the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. Legendary Southern collector and historian William H. Purnell Jr. recalls his father purchasing Cadillac cars from Cavanaugh.

Along with the McCleery Collection example, this decoy is among the Ward brothers’ best mallard decoys.

194

Excellent original paint with light wear, including several small rubs below right speculum.

PROVENANCE: Alan Haid Collection Private Collection, Ohio, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, The Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Plano, TX, 1989, pl. 74-75 and photo 50, related examples illustrated and discussed.

$18,000 - $24,000

THE HAID CAVANAUGH WARD MALLARD DRAKE

222

195

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

223

223 The Surace Ward Canada Goose

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1943 24 in. long

Frank Surace was one of the earliest decoy collectors from Long Island and one of the Long Island Decoy Collectors Association’s founding members in 1971. A review of Surace’s collection reveals that by no means did he limit himself to the region. Indeed, he and his friends William Mackey and Milt Weiler traveled together with a briefcase full of cash on decoy-picking road trips.

A large, cedar-bodied goose displaying a head which is slightly turned and finished with some of the greatest refinement seen in an any of Steve’s waterfowl decoys. The low neck seat sweeps into a grand cedar body with a high tail. The decoy was

finished with Lem’s seemingly effortless blending and feathering.

The underside of the carving is signed by both Lem and Steve and dated 1943. Excellent original paint with moderate gunning wear, original fill to tight age lines in underside and back. Rubs to tail and bill edges.

PROVENANCE: Frank Surace Collection Private Collection, acquired from the above in 1973 LITERATURE: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, The Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Plano, TX, 1989, pp. 112-113, related geese illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

196

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

224

225

224 Sleeping Bluebill

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1972 13 in. long

An exceedingly rare life-size bluebill carving in a sleeping posture. The bottom of the carving bears both brothers’ inked signatures along with the inscription “L. T. Ward Bros. - 1972 -.”

“The famous decoy contest in 1948,” writes Quintina Colio on the heritage of decoys, “was held in the Grand Central Palace, New York City, sponsored by Schaefer Brewing Company and the winner was the Ward Brothers, from Crisfield, Maryland.

Renowned judges included Wm J. Mackey Jr., Lynn Bogue Hunt and Dr. Edgar Burke.” Joel Barber was also a judge. The Wards’ winning decoy was a related balsa-bodied sleeping mallard drake illustrated in Gard and McGrath’s book. Even with this high-profile endorsement, sleepers remained exceedingly rare in the Ward’s extensive portfolio. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Maryland

LITERATURE: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, The Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Plano, TX, 1989, p. 84, pl. 77, sleeper illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000

225 Sleeping Canvasback

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1973 14 in. long

An rare life-size canvasback carving in a sleeping posture. The bottom of the hollow carving bears both brothers’ inked signatures along with the inscription “L. T. Ward Bros. - 1973 -.” Original paint with light wear, including some craquelure at wing tips and tail.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Maryland LITERATURE: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, The Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Plano, TX, 1989, p. 84, pl. 77, sleeper illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000 197

THE WARD BROTHERS

1896-1984 AND 1895-1976 | CRISFIELD, MD

226

226 Bluebill Hen

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) Crisfield, MD, 1976 14 1/2 in. long

The body is hollow, which is rare for Ward decoys.

The bluebill’s underside bears Lem’s signature and the inscription “L. T. Ward Bro. Crisfield, MD. 1976,” along with an impressed “Ward Bros.” stamp. Original paint with light wear. $2,000 - $3,000

227 “High-Tail” Mallard Hen

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, c. 1948 18 in. long 227

An oversize, balsa-bodied mallard hen exhibiting extensive feathering, a turned head, and an upswept tail. Describing a closely related pair, Ward authors Gard and McGrath write, “These are two of the finest examples of the 1948 Ward design for any species.”

They point out that “...the Wards have made the hen the eye catching bird of the pair.” Excellent original paint with light wear, age lines in left side of body, and touch-up to age line in neck.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Maryland LITERATURE: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, The Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Plano, TX, 1989, p. 84, pl. 78, related pair illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

198

JOHN GLENN

1876-1954 | ROCK HALL, MD

228

228 Flying Canvasback Pair John Glenn (1876-1954) Rock Hall, MD, c. 1910 14 1/2 in. long, 15 in. tall on stand

Glenn was among the early Upper Bay decoy makers who made birds in the regional style. Setting him apart from his many contemporaries are his diminutive decorative carvings, such as these canvasbacks, which have drawn even more interest from collectors than his working duck, goose, and swan decoys. Indeed, his record price at auction was set by

a closely related pair of canvasbacks. Each bird has applied wings and feet and is positioned on an original chamfered base. Birds are in excellent original paint with light wear. Chips to some wing edges and tips.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Maryland

$5,000 - $7,000

199

JOHN GLENN

1876-1954 | ROCK HALL, MD

229 Inlaid Table

John Glenn (1876-1954) Rock Hall, MD 25 in. tall and 23 1/2 in. wide

This table by John Glenn may be unique and features geometric and graphic inlays. The top is finished with three flying waterfowl. The birds are artistically set above a canine chasing a rabbit. The maker’s creativity continues on the bottom shelf which features five-pointed stars and a crescent moon. Table is structurally sound with some wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Maryland

$6,000 - $9,000

229

200

229

"...strange, wild sculpture in old weathered plumage, grim and bleached by many waters" — Joel Barber, Long Shore 230

231

230 Derelict Duck Decoy

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1925 18 in. long

The underside is signed and dated 1925 by Lem Ward. The carving is featured in the first book on the Ward brothers, entitled Ward Bros. Wildfowl Counterfeiters. A copy of the book accompanies the decoy. As found.

PROVENANCE: William Joeckel Collection

231 Blue Goose

Oliver “Tuts” Lawson (b. 1938) Crisfield, MD, 1989 34 1/4 in. long

A turned-head blue goose carving, with incised bill detail, signed and dated on the underside. The blue goose is a rare natural variation of the snow goose and is thus not often seen carved by any maker. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

Frank Surace Collection Private Collection, acquired from the above in 1973 LITERATURE: Byron Cheever, Ward Bros., Haber City, UT, 1971, pl. 30, exact decoy illustrated.

201

OLIVER “TUTS” LAWSON B. 1938 | CRISFIELD, MD

232

232 Whistling Swan

Oliver “Tuts” Lawson (b. 1938) Crisfield, MD, 1985 35 3/4 in. long

Commonly referred to as the “dean of Crisfield carvers,” Lawson is the focus on a new exhibit at the Ward Museum titled “Oliver ‘Tuts’ Lawson: A Retrospective.” In a recent Decoy Magazine article on the exhibit, the Ward brothers’ protégé recalls, “I used to watch, ask questions and learn.”

This life-size whistling swan is among Lawson’s most grand waterfowl carvings. The huge arching body features deep carving features and a broad paddle tail. In conjunction with the complex form, Lawson has masterfully applied an elegant white-on-white paint pattern for a deep effect. The high head is

202

slightly turned and is finished with fine carving detail. In addition to a species designation, the carving is signed and dated on the bottom of the dense balsa body by the maker.

Original paint with light wear, including a slight ding to left side.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia LITERATURE: “Ward Museum presents retrospective on Oliver “Tuts” Lawson,” Decoy Magazine, November/December 2021, p. 20.

$5,000 - $7,000

CAMERON T. MCINTYRE B. 1968 | NEW CHURCH, VA

233

233 Feeding Curlew

234

Cameron T. McIntyre (b. 1968) New Church, VA, c. 2000 16 in. long

A grand feeding curlew decoy by this living legend showing homage to his fellow Eastern Shore carvers from over a century ago. Signed with an incised “CTM” on the underside. Original paint with even wear.

234 Caines Brothers Mallard Pair Cameron T. McIntyre (b. 1968) New Church, VA, 2001 17 in. long

A snakey-neck pair showcasing McIntyre’s carving abilities and mastery of paint. Made in the Caines Brothers’ style, these carvings exhibit incised bill and feather treatment and raised wings. The undersides display the maker’s incised “CTM” and the inked inscription “Caines Brothers Mallard Pair Cameron McIntyre 2001.” Original paint with even wear and slight flaking to age lines in drake’s back.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

203

WILLIAM GIBIAN B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

235 Calling Curlew

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 1995 13 in. long

A grand decorative curlew with excellent carved and painted detail. The bird is mounted on an elaborate hand-carved base with clams and an oyster. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey, acquired from the

maker

204

235

205

WILLIAM GIBIAN B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

236

236 Grand Canvasback Pair William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, 1996 drake is 20 in. long

A nod to Elmer Crowell, Gibian has employed four elegantly carved wooden clam shells on the bases. This pair represents some of the maker’s finest decorative waterfowl.

Signed by the maker on business cards affixed to the bottom of the bases. An inked inscription on the drake’s business card reads: “My finest pair of canvasback field decoys.” An inked

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inscription on the hen’s business card reads: “This hen is a brand new design for me and the first one off the new pattern.”

Excellent original paint with minimal wear and puppy chews to hen’s bill tip.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey, acquired from the

maker

WILLIAM GIBIAN

B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

237

237 Mallard Hen

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, 1996 19 in. long

A life-size feeding hen with raised, crossed wing tips. The carving is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the underside and a business card affixed to the bottom of the base. An inked inscription on the business card reads: “My first mallard hen 4/96.”

Gibian has expertly approached the daunting task of tackling the intricate paint that has pained many makers in attempting this sex of the species. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Jersey, acquired from the

maker

207

WILLIAM GIBIAN B. 1946 | ONANCOCK, VA

238

238 American Egret

William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 2000 29 in. long

A hollow egret with incised wing details and the maker’s incised signature on the underside. The body is held together with six well-constructed butterfly joints. This life-size carving stands 33 1/2 inches tall on its removable oval base. Original paint with even wear and some sap bleeds, mostly on right shoulder.

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239 Curlew with Folding Body William Gibian (b. 1946) Onancock, VA, c. 1990 17 in. long

A rare gunning-style shorebird carving by the maker with a removable head and bill. The body seam is hinged on the back and latched on the belly. The head and bill can be stored inside the hollow of the body for protection from breakage. This curlew is signed by the maker with an incised “GIBIAN” on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

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MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

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240 Stavis Preening Mallard Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, 1982 15 1/2 in. long

A hollow-bodied, turned-head decoy with carved, raised, and incised primaries. This exquisite “green head” reveals the artist’s signature spoke-shave finish and a warm patina. The bird has glass eyes, nice bill detail, and is finely painted with minimal gunning wear. Incised “McNair” signature, original rigging, and painted dedication on bottom reading: “For my

friend, Barrie Stavis, from your Chincoteague vacation-1982, Mark S. McNair.” Excellent original condition.

PROVENANCE: The Barrie and Bernice Stavis Collection Private Collection, New Jersey

$3,000 - $4,000

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MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

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241 Sperm Whale

242 Preening Yellowlegs

Measuring a full fifty inches in length, this carving is the largest Mark McNair whale pattern to come to market.

Made to hang above a fireplace mantle or on the wall, it features the maker’s finest carving detail with an intricate eye, a row of carved bone teeth, a raised pectoral flipper, separated flukes, and the maker’s incised “McNair” signature on the back. Original paint with light wear.

An early preening shorebird decoy by this maker, with raised wings and fine stippled paint detail. The underside is signed with an incised “McNAIR.” Original paint with light wear.

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2010 50 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1980 8 1/4 in. long

243 Long-Billed Dowitcher Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 1990 12 in. long

A shorebird carved in the style of a Charles Sumner Bunn.

Signed with the maker’s incised “McNair” signature on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

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MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

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245 Golden Plover

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2010 9 3/4 in. long

A golden plover with a pronounced “beetle head,” inserted oak wing tips, and glass eyes. This decoy bears the maker’s incised signature on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

246 Early Shorebird

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, 1975 15 in. long

244 Yellowlegs

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2010 11 1/2 in. long

A very early sandpiper by the maker with incised wings. The underside has a painted date and signature. Original paint with light wear.

A delicate yellowlegs with raised wings and a stringing hole though the paddle tail. Signed with the maker’s incised “McNair” on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

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MARK S. MCNAIR B. 1950 | CRADDOCKVILLE, VA

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247 Ruddy Duck

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2000 9 1/2 in. long

A perky ruddy duck carving displaying a beautifully sculpted head and bill, a pumpkin-like body, and stylized primary wing cuts. The work is incised “McNair” on bottom. Original paint with light wear.

LITERATURE: Bob Ridges, Decoy Ducks, New York, NY, 1988, p. 8 and dust jacket, similar bird illustrated.

248 Sleeping Merganser 248

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, c. 2010 17 in. long

A long-bodied merganser which conveys the maker’s passion for his craft through its construction, form, and paint. The resting head has an inlaid leather cap on its wooden crest, and the bill tip is slightly tucked into the back. Raised wings are painted with elaborate patterns and framed by vermiculated white feathering. The bottom board of this hollow bird has a hexagonal weight, inlaid leather, and is incised “McNAIR.” Original paint with light wear.

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249 Stavis Cormorant

Mark S. McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA, 1989 23 in. long

A rare species for the maker, this raised-head carving is signed with the maker’s “McNair” signature on the bottom. The underside also bears an inscription from the artist to his early patron discussing this carving. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: The Barry and Bernice Stavis Collection Private Collection, Virginia

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CHARLES BIRCH

1867-1956 | WILLIS WHARF, VA

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250 Brant

Charles Birch (1867-1956) Willis Wharf, VA, c. 1920 18 in. long

The form and surface of this hollow brant place it among the finest from this iconic Southern rig. A closely related rigmate, from the Roy Bull Collection, was chosen for the dust-jacket cover of “Southern Decoys” by Henry Fleckenstein Jr. This decoy was acquired by descent from the son of Robert Andrews. Original paint with even gunning wear. One-quarter of bill tip is repaired. Original knot is showing on right side.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, by descent from the son of Robert

Andrews

LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, front dust-jacket cover, rigmate illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

Related brant shown on the front cover of Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas by Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr.

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VIRGINIA SWIMMING BRANT

251 Virginia Swimming Brant

Northampton County, VA, c. 1870 20 1/2 in. long

In 1991 this decoy was featured on the cover of Richard W. Oliver’s American Bird Decoys from the Collection of Milton C. Weiler. This swimming brant was part of the Milton C. Weiler Collection for over thirty years.

Milton Christian Weiler (1910-1974) hailed from Buffalo, New York, and graduated from Syracuse University’s School of Fine Arts. An avid sportsman, Weiler was known for his paintings and illustrations which featured a myriad of field and stream subjects. In the 1930s, he was introduced to Eugene Connett, who founded Derrydale Press. Impressed with Weiler’s inspired depictions of nature scenes, Connett hired him to illustrate four Derrydale Press books.

Weiler became a fixture in the early decoy collecting scene, and collaborated with his friend William J. Mackey for the Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings, which was published in 1971. Mackey and Weiler were also known to have road tripped together in the pursuit of decoys.

At the Weiler sale, this decoy was acquired by one of the nation’s premier collections, where it has resided for the last thirty years.

storm-ravaged history of the area, this comes as little surprise.

The form, condition, and provenance of this swimmer place it among the great unknown decoys. Old working paint with heavy gunning wear, including some age lines. Tip and underside of bill has been replaced.

PROVENANCE: Milton C. Weiler Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Richard W. Oliver’s, American Bird Decoys from the Collection of Milton C. Weiler, November 7, 1991, front cover and lot 295, exact brant illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, back dust-jacket cover, p. 166, pl. 322, The Andrews running curlew illustrated.

Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, p. 59, related Cobb brant illustrated.

Dr. S. Lloyd Newberry, Wings of Wonder: The Remarkable Story of the Cobb Family and the Priceless Decoys They Created on Their Island Paradise, Columbia, SC, 2020, front dust-jacket cover, related root heads illustrated, p. 232, The Mackey Muller Cobb feeding brant illustrated.

$45,000 - $65,000

Many believe that Northampton County, Virginia, produced the finest brant decoys known. This may in part be due to a special affinity for the species that the barrier islanders showed. Case in point, Nathan Cobb Sr. kept a tame flock of brant on his island home, which were a local attraction and even once collateral for hotel construction loans.

This early brant demonstrates all of the bold features that define the Cobb Island style, while varying from the island’s standard. The curve along the back, long and deep wing cut, flared tail, pronounced lower profile, and delicate head carving produce a suite of lines that make this bird distinct from its Northampton County peers, including the known Cobbs, Doughtys, and Bradys. The sweeping lines are reminiscent of Robert Andrews from Smith Island, who is known for his curlew.

The original root head is in a swimming position, turned slightly to the left and finished with delicate eye grooves.

Reflecting this subtlety, the underside of the tented tail is slightly concave. The underside of the tail bears a “J.P.” brand.

The rarity of this great sculpture cannot be overstated; no closely related examples have surfaced. Given the

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Front cover of Oliver’s 1991 auction catalog featuring lot 251 headlining the Milton C. Weiler (1910-1974) Collection. .

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"This Roothead decoy is one of the most stylish solid body Cobbs to ever come to the market. Its finely carved primary wings come to a sharp point overlapping a wonderfully squared tail section, unique to the Cobb style.

This distinction alone makes this decoy extremely rare."

— Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., R. W. Oliver, American Bird Decoys from the Collection of Milton C. Weiler, November 7, 1991

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MACKEY RUDDY DUCK

“Authentic old Ruddy Duck decoys add charm and value to any collection.

These, from 6 to [10] inches long, illustrate the type to seek. Some very good ones also come from the head of Chesapeake Bay.” —William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys

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252 Mackey Ruddy Duck Back Bay, Virginia, c. 1890 10 in. long

The aforementioned quote appears in Mackey’s seminal book above this exact carving. An important decoy from the author’s personal collection, this Virginia-Carolina-line treasure displays a pattern and lines similar to the John Williams ruddy featured on the cover of Gunnin’ Birds. This little decoy is notable for its chined sides which draw back to a thin upswept tail. Old paint with heavy gunning wear, a crack through tail, and an old bill replacement.

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PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, pl. 139, exact decoy illustrated.

Kroghie Andresen, Gunnin’ Birds, Charlotte, NC, 2008, front cover and p. 60, related decoy illustrated.

$6,000 - $9,000

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LEE DUDLEY

1860-1942 | KNOTTS ISLAND, NC

253 Mackey-O’Brien Dudley Canvasback Drake Lee Dudley (1860-1942) Knotts Island, NC, c. 1890 13 1/2 in. long

Dudley decoys have been held in the highest regard since the earliest days of decoy collecting. In fact, two seminal books on decoy collecting, William J. Mackey Jr.’s American Bird Decoys and Joel Barber’s Wild Fowl Decoys, both begin their first chapter with stories of Dudley decoys and the authors’ reverence for them. Barber’s particular love of Dudleys is illustrated in the initial three plates of his book; the first of which depicts two Dudley decoys prominently displayed top and center on a collection wall. In 1981 a panel of experts reviewing the decoy collection at the Shelburne Museum declared a Dudley decoy of Barber’s to be the best of the collection.

This decoy is one of the finest examples of a Dudley canvasback ever to be offered at auction. It is believed to have been made for use at the Dudley’s Island Club, which was owned by Lee’s twin brother, Leonard V. Dudley (1860-1932).

The underside of the bird retains the original weight and a faint brand that appears to be “F R.,” possibly for Frank Reese from Currituck, North Carolina. The body is long and graceful and the raised wing tips are carved in a sharp V-shape. This bird has sophisticated head carving with a refined bill, pronounced crown, and full cheeks. William J. Mackey Jr. was so impressed with Dudley’s work that he proclaimed, “The heads on Dudley’s decoys are the finest the writer has ever seen.”

This rare example carries excellent provenance and is in very good condition by Dudley and regional standards. These two points cannot be overstated when considering Dudley decoys.

The provenance leads directly from the Mackey Collection, to the Megargee Collection, to the O’Brien Collection.

Additionally, it was illustrated in the July/August 1988 issue of Decoy Magazine for winning “Best in Show,” among other awards, at the Mid-Atlantic Wildfowl Festival in Virginia Beach. Joe French illustrated this exact decoy in the Megargee Collection as part of his Decoy Magazine series “Early Decoy Days.”

Though it is likely that Lee Dudley made hundreds of birds over the course of his career, very few of his decoys survived. Their popularity among collectors has led to numerous contemporary copies, and re-headed or re-bodied examples.

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The Dudley decoy has always been known for its bold, singular form and this carving exemplifies all of the desirable attributes one looks for. To draw from Gene and Linda Kangas’ Decoys: A North American Survey: “A visual study of the complete Dudley bird form, whatever the species, reveals an uninterrupted flow from bill tip to tail’s end. The successful manner in which the bill fits into the lower cheeks, the cut of the neck-base, sweeping powerful chest, and smooth, curved body combine into one of the finer sculptural solutions in the decoy world.”

Finding Dudley decoys with their original head and bill, as seen on this canvasback, is extremely difficult. The form, execution, rarity, condition, and provenance of this canvasback place it among the finest North Carolina decoys to ever be offered for sale at auction. Mix of original and working paint with heavy gunning wear and reset head and neck with age lines.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Megargee Collection, acquired from the above in the early 1960s Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, acquired from the sale of the above LITERATURE: Joe French, “Early Decoy Days: Traveling Man,” Decoy Magazine, March/April 2005, p. 25, exact decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, 1965, pp.

168-170.

Joel Barber, Wild Fowl Decoys, New York, NY, 1954, pp. 1-5, pl. 1-3, related decoys illustrated.

Dick McIntyre, “The Dudley Decoy,” Decoy Magazine, March/April 1994, cover story, pp. 8-14.

Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, pp. 215-219.

Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys: A North American Survey, Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, pp. 3-4.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2011, Plymouth, MA, July 2011, lot 629, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., “’Old Decoys’ Compete for Ribbons,” Decoy Magazine, July/August 1988, p. 29, exact decoy illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Session III, Hingham, MA, 2018, lot 66, exact decoy illustrated.

$50,000 - $80,000

THE MACKEY-O’BRIEN DUDLEY CANVASBACK DRAKE

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BULL REACHING CURLEW

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254 Bull Reaching Curlew Cobb Island, VA, c. 1880 15 in. long

A reaching curlew with a split tail, carved on the famed Cobb Island. Roy Bull, a legendary Eastern Shore collector, sourced this decoy for his collection. The underside bears the Bull brand behind the stick hole. Original paint with heavy gunning wear, touch-up to roughness in front of stick hole, and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Roy Bull Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne, Inc., The Roy Bull Decoy Collection, Hyannis, MA, March 1983, lot 537, exact decoy illustrated.

$6,500 - $8,500

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ALMA FITCHETT

SMITH ISLAND AND TOWNSEND, VA

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255 Robin Snipe

Alma Fitchett Smith Island and Townsend, VA, c. 1875 10 1/2 in. long

A rare and early robin snipe with a bright red breast, incised eye detail, and the maker’s conjoined “AF” incised signature on the underside. Original paint with heavy even gunning wear and a replaced bill.

LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and

The Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, pl. II, pp. 167-8, related decoys and signatures illustrated. $6,000 - $9,000

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EMILE A. GRUPPE 1896-1978

256 Emile A. Gruppe (1896-1978) Hauling the Nets signed “Emile A. Gruppe” lower right oil on canvas, 30 by 40 in.

Emile Albert Gruppe was born to an artistic family in Rochester, New York, in 1896. He spent much of his childhood on the coast of the Netherlands, where his father, Charles, was a painter and art dealer. Upon returning to the States in 1913 just prior to World War I, Gruppe pursued his art training full time. He studied in New York at the Art Students League, the National Academy of Design, and with individual artists, such as John F. Carlson (1874-1945).

Gruppe exhibited at the National Academy for the first time in 1915 at the age of nineteen. After seeing a depiction of the Gloucester, Massachusetts, harbor in a subsequent exhibition, the artist’s curiosity was piqued. In 1925 he made his first visit to the Cape Ann area, and by the 1940s he became linked with Rockport and set up the Gruppe Summer School, also known as the Gloucester School of Art on Rocky Neck. Run with several other artists, including Carlson, this painting school was immensely popular and was held until the 1970s. Gruppe’s personable demeanor made him a favored teacher, and he wrote three books on painting later in his career: Gruppe on Painting, Gruppe on Color, and Brushwork for the Oil Painter. He was a member of the Salmagundi Club, the

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North Shore Art Association, and the Gloucester Society of Artists. Gruppe’s paintings can be found in private and public collections across the country, including the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the White House, among others. The popular artist died in East Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1978.

Hauling the Nets is a powerful, well-composed work depicting one of the artist’s most sought-after subjects with confident brushwork and painterly flair.

PROVENANCE: The artist The daughter of the artist Private Collection, West Virginia

$30,000 - $50,000

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257 Pierre J. Martin (20th Century)

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Fishing Along the Bank signed “Pierre J. Martin” lower left oil on canvas, 25 1/4 by 30 in.

Minneapolis Institute of Art label on back

Pierre J. Martin exhibited at the Salons of America in 1934 and the Salon of Independent Artists in 1937 and 1941. This atmospheric fishing scene combines characteristics of American Impressionist landscapes with sporting art. $10,000 - $15,000

258 Ken Carlson (b. 1937)

Wrapped in Color (Wood Ducks) signed “Carlson” lower right acrylic on board, 12 by 16 in.

Perhaps best known for his majestic North American big game paintings, Carlson’s waterfowl works rank with Maass and Adamson’s as among the genre’s best. $14,000 - $18,000

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258

KEN CARLSON

B. 1937

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259 Ken Carlson (b. 1937) Big Horn Sheep signed “Carlson” lower right oil on board, 24 by 24 in.

Born in 1937, Ken Carlson spent his early life in Minnesota, where he developed a love of nature and art. His artistic training took place at the Minneapolis School of Art. Today, Carlson is among the leading wildlife art painters. His works have been featured at exhibitions and in the collections of the National Wildlife Art Museum in Jackson, Wyoming, the Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Among other honors, he was granted the Bob Kuhn Wildlife Award from the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles in 2008 and the Prix de West in 1999. He is a regular supporter of wildlife conservation organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. $18,000 - $28,000

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BOB KUHN

1920-2007

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260 Bob Kuhn (1920-2007) Very Good Friends signed “Kuhn” center right acrylic on board, 8 by 13 in. titled on back

Bob Kuhn was perhaps the greatest painter of big cats of all time. This work is closely related in subject and size to African Lion, held in the National Museum of Wildlife art in Jackson, Wyoming.

of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming; the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and the John L. Wehle Gallery of Sporting Art at the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford, New York.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Bob Kuhn enjoyed visiting the Buffalo Zoo and sketching its inhabitants as a child.

After studying design, anatomy, and life drawing at the Pratt Institute in New York City, Kuhn made his living working as an illustrator for various wildlife and outdoor magazines. In the early 1970s, Kuhn switched to painting full time. Kuhn’s work is featured in the permanent collections of the National Museum

Though small in size, this gem depicts the grand majesty of lions, the king and queen of the African plains.

LITERATURE: Wild Harvest: The Animal Art of Bob Kuhn, Columbia, SC,

1997, p. 95.

$28,000 - $35,000

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LUKE FRAZIER B. 1970

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261 Luke Frazier (b. 1970) Sharp-Tailed Grouse & 20’s signed “l. frazier” lower right oil on panel, 14 by 11 in.

Luke Frazier is one of the West’s top wildlife artists.

Born and raised in the mountains of northern Utah, Frazier spent much of his youth hunting and fishing.

His early forays into nature inspired a passion for the outdoors. As a child, Frazier spent countless hours sketching and sculpting wildlife, demonstrating not only a passionate interest, but also an instinctive ability.

Later, he received his formal art training at Utah State University, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting and a master of fine arts degree in illustration. Frazier cites the influence of Winslow Homer, Edgar Payne, Bruno Liljefors, Carl Rungius, and Bob Kuhn in his work. $4,000 - $6,000

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262 Luke Frazier (b. 1970)

263 Luke Frazier (b. 1970)

$2,000 - $3,000

$1,500 - $2,500

Snow Pixie signed “l. frazier” lower right watercolor, 13 by 15 in.

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263

Green Wing Teal signed “l. frazier” lower right watercolor, 11 1/2 by 7 1/2 in.

“When I was a young boy, I remember begging my older brothers to take me hunting, fishing, and running their traplines. I reveled in it—there was nothing more I wanted to do than be in the wild outdoors: training dogs, shooting ducks and pheasants, catching trout in the mountain streams, and trying to outfox Mr. Fox on the trapline.

I can’t remember when I started scribbling, sketching, and sculpting, but I know it was something I thoroughly enjoyed. My dear friend, Bob Kuhn, taught me, “Draw, draw, draw, and when you think you’re done, draw some more.” What wise words for a budding artist. All it takes is total commitment and countless hours of drawing and painting just to begin to understand composition, color, value, texture, and, most importantly, the anatomy of the subject at hand.

Stringing a few brook trout on a willow twig, hanging ducks and upland birds on the tack wall, skinning a buck after a long and arduous hunt, the memories from a life welllived are present in my art. I create what I love and I’m grateful for the many artists, collectors, and patrons who have found beauty in my work.”

— Luke Frazier

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264 Luke Frazier (b. 1970) Woodland Prize signed “l. frazier” lower right oil on panel, 16 by 16 in. $6,000 - $9,000

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THE WINTER SALE 2022 LOTS 265-556 DAY 2 | MARCH 5 | 10AM

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FLOYD SCHOLZ B. 1958 | HANCOCK, VT

265 Barn Owl

Floyd Scholz (b. 1958) Hancock, VT, 1986 33 in. tall

Recognized as one of the world’s preeminent contemporary wood carvers and painters, Floyd Scholz’s works feature hawks, eagles, owls and other large birds of prey. In addition to being a professional carver, Floyd Scholz runs the Vermont Raptor Academy in Bennington, Vermont, where he provides instruction in decorative carving. The maker explains, “As a professional artist and instructor, I’m constantly striving to keep my work fresh and exciting by developing new and more efficient ways to carve and paint. Change is essential if you want to grow as an artist.” Scholz is also the author of four books and he has been featured on many television shows.

Indeed this very owl was featured with Scholz in People magazine.

Michael Kane is widely known as one of Nantucket’s greatest lightship basketmakers. He and his wife Marcia have also been leading patrons of contemporary decorative bird carvings for decades. The couple was instrumental in the expansion of the decorative carving field in the late-20th century. The “Michael Kane Carvers Guild” opened in downtown Nantucket, where they showcased and sold premier works by some of the nation’s top decorative carvers, including Floyd Scholz. We are honored to offer two signature works from the Kane’s private collection, lots 265 and 266.

An animated turned-head barn owl with spread wings perched on a branch mounted on a turned circular wooden base. The

maker’s signature and markings are found on the top and underside of the base. The complexity of this blue-ribbon work displays the maker’s mastery of craftsmanship, carving, and paint detail. This avian sculpture demonstrates Scholz’ thorough knowledge of the owl’s anatomy and behavior.

This carving won Best in Show at the U.S. National Championships in Babylon, New York. It went on to place third at the World Championship for a decorative life-size carving.

This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection, acquired from

the artist

LITERATURE: People, June 2, 1986, exact carving illustrated.

Floyd Scholz, Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art website, Salisbury, MD.

“Scholz is a five-time U.S. National Champion and the 2005 World Master’s Best in Show Champion. Scholz’s work has been included in the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum Birds in Art exhibition and has been featured in many publications including Smithsonian Studies in American Art and People Magazine, where he was heralded as ‘one of the world’s true Renaissance men.’ One of his dear friends and collectors Elizabeth Taylor once summed it up perfectly when she said, ‘Floyd, you really soar with your eagles!’”

— The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

Floyd Scholz with his award-winning barn owl, (lot 265) in front of the Micaheal Kane Carvers Guild, Nantucket, MA, c. 1986.

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265

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FLOYD SCHOLZ B. 1958 | HANCOCK, VT

266 Ring-Necked Pheasant Floyd Scholz (b. 1958) Hancock, VT, 1988 32 in. long

A flying life-size pheasant with a twenty-nine-inch wingspan, this carving exhibits highly intricate carved and painted detail.

The award-winning contemporary maker has masterfully captured the bird in an animated calling posture. The carving is mounted on a removable hexagonal beveled-edge base that features a branch and grasses.

This carving also won Best in Show at the U.S. National Championships in Babylon, New York. It went on to place 3rd at the World Championship for a decorative life-size carving.

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It was also the front-cover feature of Wildfowl Carving and Collecting Spring 1989 volume. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection, acquired from

the artist

LITERATURE: Wildfowl Carving and Collecting, Spring 1989, front cover, exact carving illustrated

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FRANK S. FINNEY B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

267

268

269

267 Life-Size Great Horned Owl

268 Miniature Snowy Owl

A hollow, turned-head owl carving signed with the maker’s ink stamp signature on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

This turned-head owl has carved feather detail and bears an incised “F” signature and species designation under the carved base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 22 1/2 in. tall

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 7 in. long

269 Miniature Great-Horned Owl Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 7 1/2 in. tall

A chip-carved owl with raised wing and tail carving and glass eyes.

The bird rests on a heart-shaped perch. Incised “F” signature and Finney’s stamp on the underside of the carved base. Original paint with minimal wear.

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FRANK S. FINNEY

B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

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272

271

273

270 Miniature Blue Grouse

272 Miniature California Quail

A grouse carving on a painted base. Signed with the maker’s stamp and incised “F” on the bottom of the base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

A standing California quail, signed with an incised, stylized “F” and the maker’s stamp on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

271 Miniature Rock Ptarmigan

273 Miniature Atlantic Puffin

A snowy white ptarmigan carving, signed with the maker’s stamp and incised “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

A puffin carving with incised wings, extensive feather detail, and the maker’s “Finney” stamp and incised cursive “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 1/2 in. tall

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 3/4 in. tall

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 in. tall

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 1/2 in. long

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FRANK S. FINNEY B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

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276

275

277

274 Miniature Red-Headed Woodpecker

276 Miniature Orchard Oriole

An incised “F” and maker’s stamp on the underside of the painted base. Original paint with minimal wear.

Signed with the maker’s stamp and an incised, stylized “F” on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

275 Miniature Bluebird

277 Miniature Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 4 1/2 in. long

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 3 1/2 in. tall

A calling bluebird carving with flared wings and the maker’s incised cursive “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

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Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 5 1/2 in. long

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 2 in. tall

Signed with an incised “F” on the bottom of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

FRANK S. FINNEY

B. 1947 | CAPEVILLE, VA

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278 White Unicorn

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279

Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 8 in. tall

An exceedingly rare folk art carving for this renowned carver.

The surface is finished with a dramatic craquelure patina. The horn and ears are carved from deer antlers. This unicorn bears an incised “F” signature and Finney ink stamp on the underside of the base. Original paint with light wear.

279 Miniature Dalmatian Dog Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2000 5 in. tall

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A rare subject and species for this Southern folk art carver. The work bears an incised “F” signature and Finney ink stamp on the underside of the base. Original paint with light wear.

280 Dove with Olive Branch Frank S. Finney (b. 1947) Capeville, VA, c. 2020 9 in. long

This folky carving retains the maker’s “F F” incised stamp on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

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281

285

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287

284

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281 Miniature Turned-Head Goldeneye Drake Wendell Gilley (1904-1983) Southwest Harbor, ME, c. 1950 3 1/2 in. tall

This goldeneye exhibits slightly raised wing carving and highly unusual miniature glass eyes. The carving is faintly signed “W.H. Gilley” in pencil on the bottom of the base. A straighthead example resides in the Wendell Gilley Museum. Original paint with minimal wear and minor touch-up to neck seam.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Houston, Texas LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, p. 149, fig. 16.2, related example illustrated.

282 Miniature Red-Breasted Merganser Harold N. Gibbs (1886-1970) Barrington, RI, c. 1965 4 1/2 in. long

The underside of the base bears the maker’s signature and species notation. Original paint with minimal wear.

283 Miniature Flying Quail

George W. Reinbold (1885-1946) Lansdowne, PA, c. 1930 4 1/4 in. wingspan

286 Purple Finch

James Lapham (1909-1987) Dennisport, MA, c. 1960 4 in. long

Signed by the maker on the underside of the base. Original paint with minimal wear.

287 Rare Miniature White-Winged Scoter A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 4 in. long

A rarely seen Crowell miniature species, scoter were historically found on Cape Cod only in winter and this species was not a part of his regular set of twenty-five ducks that he grouped for summer visitors. The bottom of the base has the circular “MFR” Crowell ink stamp. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Mount Desert Island, Maine Thomas and Nancy Hennessey Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp.

239-241, Crowell mini set list and special waterfowl set illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,000

An early and refined flying bobwhite quail miniature signed “Reinbold” on the underside of one wing. Original paint with light wear.

288 Miniature Snipe

284 Miniature Puffin Pair

A delicate, split-tailed shorebird with a circular “MFR” Crowell ink stamp and “Snipe” written in script on the bottom. Original paint with minimal wear and faint age line in top of head.

4 1/2 in. tall

A pair of well-executed puffin carvings with raised wings and incised feather detail standing on a burl base. Original paint with minimal wear.

285 Miniature Quail

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 2 3/4 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Mount Desert Island, Maine Thomas and Nancy Hennessey Collection, acquired from the above

$1,500 - $2,000

James Lapham (1909-1987) Dennisport, MA, c. 1960 4 in. tall

Lapham followed in the footsteps of fellow Cape Codder A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952). Signed by the maker on the underside of the base. Original paint with light wear. Paint flake to bill tip and some flaking on loose lead toes.

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289 Miniature American Merganser Drake

290 Miniature Bluebill Drake

A miniature standing merganser with Crowell’s circular “Maker” stamp on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

A miniature bluebill with Crowell’s circular “Maker” ink stamp on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 5 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

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A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 4 1/2 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New Hampshire

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291 Miniature Canada Goose

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296

William H. Reinbold (b. 1926) Lansdowne, PA, c. 1960 3 1/2 in. long

Signed by Reinbold on the bottom of the driftwood base.

Original paint with minimal wear.

292 Miniature Green-Winged Teal William H. Reinbold (b. 1926) Lansdowne, PA, c. 1960 3 in. long

A miniature green-winged teal with raised wing tips and the maker’s inked inscription, “W Reinbold,” on the underside of the driftwood base. Original paint with minimal wear.

293 Miniature Mallard Pair

Horace “Hie” L. Crandall (1892-1969) Los Angeles, CA, c. 1950 base is 9 1/2 in. long

Intricate carvings with incised bills, raised primaries and tail feathers. Hand-crafted metal feet and legs. Signed “H.L. Crandall” on the front of the driftwood base. Original paint with light wear.

295 Miniature Mallard Pair Robert Weeks (1898-1978) Bureau, IL, c. 1960 8 in. long

An Illinois River pair with strong swirled paint. Original paint with light wear. Drake has a small sap spot on breast and restoration to tail.

296 Miniature Bufflehead 294 Miniature Green-Winged Teal Pair Horace “Hie” L. Crandall (1892-1969) Los Angeles, CA, c. 1950 base is 8 in. long

An animated decorative work with fine painted feather detail, along with raised primaries and tail feathers. Hand-crafted metal feet and legs. Signed “H.L. Crandall” on the front of the driftwood base. Original paint with light wear.

Lorne Smith Lindsay, ON, Canada, c. 1940 6 3/4 in. long

An outstanding early miniature bufflehead decorative carving with fine incised feather detail and raised wings. Original paint with light wear including a tight age line at neck seam. A few spots of white spatter on back.

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

297 Complete Set of Twenty-Five Miniature Waterfowl A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1930 Canada goose is 6 in. long

In addition to Crowell’s unparalleled carving and painting prowess, the maker’s vast ornithological knowledge and interest led him to create a huge variety of bird species.

Author and collector Joseph Ellis, who meticulously tallied the maker’s miniature species in Birds in Wood and Paint, reports, “The result—50 ducks, geese, and upland game birds (including females), 42 shorebirds and wading birds, and 91 songbirds, for a grand total of 183—is staggering.”

Crowell created three varieties of miniature bird carving sets, each with twenty-five pieces. These sets were of either waterfowl, shorebirds, or songbirds, which he sold to not only his decoy buyers and seasonal tourists, but also schools and museums around the nation for species identification purposes.

This group of twenty-five waterfowl miniatures, each bearing the maker’s rectangular stamp on the underside, represents a full Crowell waterfowl set, numbered one through twenty-five on the underside of each carving. Each bird is original to this fresh-to-the-market set. The vast majority of the original Crowell sets have been broken up over the years, making this a rare opportunity to acquire a single flock with remarkable consistency from bird to bird.

This lot includes the following birds listed by their original and inscribed assigned number. Crowell’s names are included in parentheses.

1. Mallard drake 2. Mallard hen 3. Pintail drake 4. Pintail hen 5. Redhead drake 6. Redhead hen 7. Ruddy Duck drake 8. Bufflehead drake 9. Bluebill drake 10. Bluebill hen 11. Red-Breasted Merganser drake 12. Red-Breasted Merganser hen 13. Canvasback drake 14. Canvasback hen 15. Green-Winged Teal drake 16. Brant 17. American merganser drake (gooseander) 18. Blue-Winged Teal drake 19. Hooded Merganser drake 20. Black Duck 21. Goldeneye drake 22. Long-Tailed Duck drake (old squaw) 23. Wood Duck drake 24. Wigeon (widgeon) 25. Canada Goose

Excellent original paint with minimal wear. Goose has a reset neck. Merganser hen has a chip to reset bill.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Philadelphia, by descent from the original owners LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp. 239-241, waterfowl set and list illustrated.

Brian Cullity, The Songless Aviary, Hyannis, MA, 1992, pp. 90-99, similar birds illustrated.

Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009.

$30,000 - $50,000

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

298 Golden Plover in Winter Plumage A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 9 1/2 in. long

A very early shorebird mantel carving in rarely seen winter plumage. The plover, exhibiting a split tail with incised carving detail on the tail, is mounted on a detailed faux carved and painted rock base with Crowell’s early oval brand on the bottom.

This decorative as well as the following lot have remained as a pair since they were acquired together from a Mount Desert Island estate. Original paint with minimal wear and minor craquelure around head and on base.

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Mount Desert Island, Maine Thomas and Nancy Hennessey Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 218, 219, related plover illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

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A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

299 Exceptional Black-Bellied Plover A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 10 in. long

An early shorebird mantel carving displaying some of the Harwich master’s finest blended plumage. Of note is the hint of auricular feather paint detail surrounding the eye. The maker’s attention to detail was virtually unrivaled in any carvings produced by other makers during Crowell’s lifetime.

The plover, exhibiting a split tail and anatomically accurate bill carving, is mounted on a detailed faux carved and painted base with Crowell’s early oval brand on the bottom.

This decorative as well as the previous lot have remained as a pair since they were acquired together from a Mount Desert Island estate. Excellent original paint with light wear, some sap along breast, tip of one toe is missing.

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PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Mount Desert Island, Maine Thomas and Nancy Hennessey Collection, acquired from the above LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 218, 219, related plover illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

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NATHAN ROWLEY HORNER 1882-1942 | WEST CREEK, NJ

300 Canada Goose

Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942) West Creek, NJ, c. 1920 24 in. long

One of New Jersey’s finest makers, Horner captured the elegance of a swimming goose with this carving. This forward-reaching decoy exhibits schooner-like construction, hollowed to a feather-light state. Original paint with even gunning wear. Some restoration to tip of bill and to right edge of tail, and touch-up to neck cracks.

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection LITERATURE: Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2006, July 26 & 27, 2006, p. 86, lot 172, exact carving illustrated.

James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, pp. 96-97, pl. 192, related examples illustrated.

Jeff Waingrow, American Wildfowl Decoys, New York, NY, 1985, p.

39, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 60, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p.

187 (top bird), exact decoy illustrated.

$15,000 - $25,000

“He was much less prolific than Shourds, but his duck, brant, and goose decoys are among the most refined made on the New Jersey shore, with spare, elegant lines and subtly blended paint."

— Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America

A gunning party at Horner’s boathouse on Shelter Island, ca. 1920s.(Left to right): Jay Remington, Harvey Parker, Rowley Horner, and Johnnie Cranmer Sr. Photograph courtesy of Jimmy Allen.

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CLARK C. MADARA 1883-1953 | PITMAN, NJ

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301 Rare Canvasback Drake Clark C. Madara (1883-1953) Pitman, NJ, c. 1915 18 in. long

A hollow canvasback by one of New Jersey’s most gifted and distinctive makers. The underside is stamped with Dave Campbell’s collection mark, “DSC,” and bears an inked inscription identifying the maker. Marked “NGH” for Nelson G. Holloway, a famed clay-target shooter and a member of the Bishops Head Gun Club in Maryland.

Very few canvasback decoys were made in New Jersey and this is among the state’s very finest.

Accordingly, it was chosen by James Doherty for his book Classic New Jersey Decoys. In original paint with even gunning wear and some working touch-up to white.

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PROVENANCE: Nelson G. Holloway Rig, hunted at Bishops Head Gun Club Dave and Jean Campbell Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, p. 161, pl. 338, exact decoy illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000

302 Goldeneye Drake

Clark C. Madara (1883-1953) Pitman, NJ, c. 1915 15 3/4 in. long

An outstanding slightly swimming whistler by one of New Jersey’s top decoy makers. Indeed, this exact bird was selected for Jim Doherty’s Classic New Jersey Decoys. Stamped “DSC” on the bottom.

Marked “NGH” for Nelson G. Holloway, a famed clay-target shooter and a member of the Bishops Head Gun Club in Maryland. Original paint with gunning wear and a tight neck crack.

PROVENANCE: Nelson G. Holloway Rig, hunted at Bishops Head Gun Club Jim and Deb Allen Collection Dave and Jean Campbell Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, p. 163, pl. 342, exact decoy illustrated.

$3,000 - $4,000

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305

304

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303 Yellowlegs

KY, 2011, p. 172, pl. 377, related decoy illustrated.

Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, title page photograph, artist illustrated.

The stylish decoys by Charles Turner are very hard to find; this yellowlegs represents a rare opportunity to acquire a fine example with the maker’s thin neck and bill and dropped tail.

A small “T” is stamped above the stick hole. Original paint with light gunning wear.

305 Plover with Applied Wings

Charles W. Turner (1860-1939) Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1890 12 in. long

PROVENANCE: Charles Turner Rig Private Collection LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Philadelphia, PA, 2011, p. 175, pl. 391, rigmates illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,000

304 Feeding Yellowlegs

George “Watts” Penn (1866-1956) Forked River, NJ, c. 1900 9 in. long

A rare, feeding shorebird decoy with gently raised wings, and sculptural broad shoulders paired with a thin neck. A closely related bird is illustrated in Doherty’s book Classic New Jersey Decoys. In the book New Jersey Decoys, Penn is pictured standing next to President Grover Cleveland, who likely gunned over this very decoy. This distinct rig of decoys was discovered by John Ackerman in the 1960s. Original paint with gunning wear, including paint rubs to head and wings, chip to left shoulder.

LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville,

Capt. Jess Hepron (attr.)

Townsend’s Inlet, NJ, c. 1915 10 in. long

A plover sporting applied wings, which were carefully carved with wing tip detail. The underside bears a museum identification code “A51.180.” Appears to be original paint with heavy gunning wear, including chipping to head and wing tips.

PROVENANCE: Walter L. Bush Collection Collection of a New York City Museum, acquired from the above in 1953 Private Collection LITERATURE: Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III, Plymouth, MA, July 19, 2018, lot 79, related example illustrated.

$600 - $900

306 Ruddy Turnstone New Jersey, c. 1880 9 in. long

Original paint with even gunning wear, including appealing craquelure and a line of flaking along right wing. Touch-up to minor flaking on right shoulder.

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection 253

DR. GILBERT E. WALLACE 1873-1917 | FORKED RIVER, NJ

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307 Greene-Bush Dovetailed Yellowlegs Dr. Gilbert E. Wallace (1873-1917) Forked River, NJ, c. 1900 9 1/4 in. long

A rare yellowlegs carving with a removable dovetailed head.

The vertically-laminated hollow body is finished with raised wings and split and raised wing tips.

The maker used an ingenious method to construct this elaborately designed decoy. The vertical lamination allowed the maker to not only hollow the body, but also more easily carve out the dovetail cavity. Additionally, the dovetail keystone was applied to the underside of the head rather than carved out of the neck. The underside has the rig numeral “VIII” and the museum code “A51.149” in red paint.

An extensive biography on Wallace is available in James Doherty’s Classic New Jersey Decoys book, along with the

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author’s fixed-head yellowlegs. Original paint with even gunning wear. Dovetail keystone is replaced.

PROVENANCE: Greene Collection Walter L. Bush Collection Collection of a New York City Museum, acquired from the above in 1953 LITERATURE: James R. Doherty, Classic New Jersey Decoys, Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 172, fixed-head examples illustrated, Appendix C, xx-xxii, Wallace biography.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1973, Sessions I & II, lot 340, rigmate illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

308

308 Eskimo Curlew Pair Massachusetts, c. 1850 13 in. long

Bearing traits seen in the earliest Massachusetts South Shore carvings, both decoys reveal refined split-tail carving, graceful neck transitions, and the tack eyes that would later be adopted

by Joseph Lincoln (1859-1938).

These decoys were possibly made by the same hand as the early hollow running curlew from the Grant Nelson Collection, illustrated in Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest.

Both display the “NELSON” Collection stamp on the underside.

Both birds are in original paint. The runner has even gunning wear and partial loss to bill tip. The upright bird has a gunning repair to the neck and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Grant Nelson Collection LITERATURE: Loy S. Harrell Jr., Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest, Iola, WI, 2000, p. 82, possible rigmate illustrated.

Jackson Parker, “Unknown Curlew Causes Excitement at Massachusetts Americana Auction,” Decoy Magazine, November/December 1997, pp. 3 and 34, possible rigmate illustrated.

$4,500 - $6,500

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OBEDIAH VERITY

1813-1901 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

309 Rare Hudsonian Godwit Obediah Verity (1813-1901) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1870 15 in. long

A shorebird that is sometimes seen probing into sand or mud for aquatic invertebrates, the godwit is unmistakable with a large body and slightly upturned bill. The rarity of Godwit decoys may be explained by its dramatic migration pattern.

The Audubon Society explains: “Once thought to be very rare, even endangered, this big sandpiper was probably just overlooked on its long migration between the Arctic and southern South America. In spring it moves north across the Great Plains, pausing at marshes and flooded fields more often than at the mudflats thronged by other shorebirds. In fall, most fly nonstop from James Bay, Canada, to South America. Some stop in fall on our Atlantic Coast, especially when driven there by northeasterly winds.”

Decoys depicting this grand shorebird are far less common than plover and curlew, making it highly sought after by astute collectors. Aside from rarity, the form of this early Verity carving places it among the Long Islander’s best patterns. The bold design, incised eyes, and raised wings show the traits that have kept this once-famous sporting destination relevant a century after much of its sport was outlawed. The broad

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carving displays the classic S-curve at the front of the wing and a sharp V-form at the wing-tip resolution.

The form, surface, and rarity of this 19th-century gunning sculpture place this among the most important Long Island shorebird decoys known. Original paint with even gunning wear, most of the gunning paint on underside has been successfully removed back down to original paint. Original bill has been reset.

LITERATURE: Timothy R. Sieger and Dr. Cynthia Byrd, The Decoys of Long Island, Water Mill, NY, 2010, no Verity godwit illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 43, no Verity godwit illustrated.

Hudsonian Godwit, Audubon, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.audubon. org/field-guide/bird/hudsonian-godwit, godwit migration discussed.

Guyette and Schmidt, North American Decoys at Auction, November 10 & 11, 1999, Easton, MD, front cover, exact decoy illustrated and cataloged as a curlew.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 46, New Jersey godwit illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

309

“Almost any shorebird from the area [Seaford] is highly collectible, for as most advanced collectors will agree there was a consistently high standard set in that small town that knows no equal in the entire world of decoys. The Verity name is literally synonymous with the sporting mecca of Seaford, having at one time been called Verity Town."

— Jeff Waingrow, American Wildfowl Decoys

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310

310 Running Yellowlegs

William H. Southard (1874-1940) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1890 12 1/4 in. long

This racy Seaford classic features carved eyes, deeply cut raised wing carving, ticked feather paint on the breast, and stippling along the back. Original paint with even gunning wear and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection

$5,000 - $8,000

311 Tieger Long-Billed Curlew Thomas H. Gelston (1850-1924) Quogue, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 18 3/4 in. long

Thomas Gelston shorebird decoys in original paint are prized by collectors. In fact, among all of the exceptional shorebirds and waterfowl from Long Island, it is a Gelston curlew that holds the region’s auction record. This grand long-billed curlew displays a high and uplifted head and raised wings.

Original paint with light gunning wear, several areas of touch-up, including back of head, neck crack, top of back and right wing.

Wear to left wing tip. Replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: David Tieger Collection Linda Johnson Collection, acquired from the sale of the above LITERATURE: Harvey Kahn, et al., Spiritually Moving, New York, NY, 1998, no. 46, exact decoy illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 54, Mackey-O’Brien example illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 47, pl. 82, Mackey-O’Brien example illustrated.

$10,000 - $15,000

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311

312

312 O’Brien Verity Running Peep Obediah Verity (1813-1901) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 7 1/2 in. long

A racy beach bird with excellent form and all of the strong features collectors prize in a Verity, including a wellproportioned body, carved eyes, raised S-wing carving, V-shape primary carving, and excellent stippled paint.

Obediah Verity’s carving and painting prowess have long been heralded as the apex of the Seaford school. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Linda Johnson Collection, acquired from the above, 2005 LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 43, related example illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 102, pl. 85, related example illustrated.

$7,000 - $10,000

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313

313 ‘Brown-Back’ Sandpiper Pair Atlantic Coast, c. 1880 13 in. long

A pair of sandpipers with humped backs and racy form. A related example is prominently featured in the front pages of Earnest’s The Art of the Decoy.

This pair was chosen to illustrate the back of a David A. Schorsch catalog where he wrote the following: “These remarkable robin snipes are premier examples of decoys in the folk art tradition. Although suggestive of the species, it is in their powerful animation and expressionist paint work that they excel. By design or necessity, a down-home decoy maker refined these working lures to their bare essentials, and in doing so has created works of great abstract sculpture.”

Original paint with even gunning wear and significant craquelure from sap bleeds. Bills appear to be original.

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PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection, acquired from David A.

Schorsch

LITERATURE: David A. Schorsch, American Decoys III: A Folk Art Tradition, Woodbury, CT, 2001, back cover and no. 24, exact pair illustrated.

Adele Earnest, The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 10, rigmate pictured.

$3,000 - $5,000

314

315

314 Dowitcher in Winter Plumage

315 Rare Eskimo Curlew

The maker has depicted a dowitcher in its non-breeding plumage with expert blended and stippled paint. Original paint with gunning wear, including shot and some typical flaking to bill.

An early Dilley form with refined lines, a split tail, and raised wing carving. The underside is branded “EC” which is likely the initials of the owner. That said, it is not uncommon for Dilleys to have their species designation marked on their undersides.

Original paint with gunning wear, some flaking on left side, and a replaced bill.

John Dilley Quogue, Long Island, NY, c. 1890 10 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Adele Earnest, The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 60, pl. 41 and 156, related decoy illustrated.

$4,500 - $6,500

John Dilley Quogue, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 12 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Adele Earnest, The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings, New York, NY, 1965, p. 60, pl. 41 and 156, related decoy illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

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WILLIAM H. SOUTHARD 1874-1940 | SEAFORD, LONG ISLAND, NY

316 Great Blue Heron

William H. Southard (1874-1940) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 37 in. long by 37 in. high

True working heron decoys are difficult to obtain, with decoys by known makers nearly non-existent. Heron carvings were often used as confidence decoys for other species. Additionally, these waders were hunted for table fare and for their plumage until they received full legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

One of the rarest of Southard species, this decoy features the

maker’s long racy posture, signature circular incised eyes, and spade-shaped tail. With its strong provenance and grand form, this heron stands tall among both Southards and heron decoys.

The decoy was likely initially used with a single stick, with the legs added while the bird was still in use. Gunning wear, paint has been taken down, filler to original crack along bottom, and small crack at base of neck.

PROVENANCE: Adele Earnest, Stony Point, New York Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 59, pl. 40, related heads illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p.

91, related example illustrated.

Adele Earnest, The Art of The Decoy, New York, NY, 1965, p. 121.

$12,000 - $18,000

Lot 310 with similar tail carving (not shown to scale).

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316

EARNEST-O’BRIEN SOUTHARD HERON

“When well conceived and endowed with the awkward grace of the great bird itself, a heron decoy can take command of almost any collection.“ — William J. Mackey Jr.

316

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317

318

317 Mackey Swimming Bluebill Atlantic Coast, c. 1880 13 in. long

A stylish early bluebill decoy with distinct lines and carved oval eyes. The underside bears the “Mackey” collection stamp and an “N” brand designating the collection of D.C. North (19312020). Old working paint with heavy gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection

D.C. North Collection Private Collection, Virginia

318 Rare Goldeneye Hen

Orlando “Os” Bibber (1882-1970) South Harpswell, ME, c. 1910 13 1/2 in. long

A rare and early goldeneye hen with sleek lines and a turned head. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Cape Cod LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, pp. 146, related McCleery merganser pair illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, San Diego, CA, 1990, pp. 33-36.

$3,500 - $4,500

264

319 Long-Tailed Drake New England, c. 1900 13 in. long

319

Long-tailed duck decoys tend to be less common because this species is not known as a delicacy. This turned-head example exhibits a strong pointed tail.

Mostly original paint, repaint includes black to front sides and breast, and traces of overpaint under the tail. 1 1/4 in. long section of crown is replaced. Crack in neck.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

$1,000 - $2,000

320 Rocking-Horse Merganser Hen Simmons Family Friendship, ME, c. 1920 18 1/2 in. long

320

A Down East sheldrake with a ballast made from a broken horseshoe. Original paint with even gunning wear and touch-up to top of head and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

321 Gull

Augustus “Gus” Aaron Wilson (1864-1950) South Portland, ME, c. 1920 17 1/2 in. long

A rare, life-size, standing gull carving by this important Maine decoy and folk art carver. The bird exhibits an open and inserted bill, incised eyes, an inletted head, and heavy wire legs with looped wire feet. Wilson carved more than just working decoys and this early work appears to have lived outside, likely as a decorative ornament. Original paint is mostly worn to wood with age lines.

321

LITERATURE: Gene Kangas, “Gus Wilson, Folk Artist,” Decoy Magazine, Lewes, DE, November/December 1994, p. 10, related carving illustrated.

265

322 Eider Hen

Penobscot Bay, ME, c. 1920 17 1/4 in. long

This bold carving features a breast-preening head with fine bill detail. It measures over seventeen inches long, eight inches tall, and over eight inches wide. The two-piece construction features a prodigious six-by-two-inch inletted head inlay. The bottom displays an anchor line ring fastened with an old fence staple.

The few grand eider and scoter decoys from Maine to have survived the harsh hunting conditions are a cornerstone of the New England decoy cannon. In American Bird Decoys, Mackey captioned a related “American or Common Eider hen from Down East, that fulfills every requirement for a decoy and has strong esthetic appeal as folk art.”

This bold seaduck decoy is among the finest Down East eider hens to have surfaced. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Cover of Bird Decoys of North America by Robert Shaw, showing a related drake.

266

PROVENANCE: Ross Levett Collection, acquired in the 1970s Dan Slocum Collection, Camden Maine, acquired from the above Private Collection LITERATURE: Christie’s, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lot 1061, related decoy illustrated.

William J. Mackey Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p.

243, related decoy illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, front dust-jacket cover, related drake illustrated.

ROCKING HORSE EIDER HEN

322

267

AUGUSTUS “GUS” AARON WILSON 1864-1950 | SOUTH PORTLAND, ME

323

323 Rare Feeding Merganser Drake

Augustus “Gus” Aaron Wilson (1864-1950) South Portland, ME, c. 1900 20 1/2 in. long

Merganser decoys have always held a special place amongst carvers and collectors of decoys and folk art. The species’ animated forms and striking plumage lend themselves to artistic designs of virtually endless interpretations. Makers and collectors have been captivated by these seemingly playful diving birds, making them among the most celebrated of all decoys.

Wilson was born “Down East,” on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

Though he is foremost remembered as a carver, Wilson was also a boatbuilder, waterman, outdoorsman, and a lighthouse keeper. He was an attendant to a number of Maine’s lighthouses, including the Marshall Point Light at Port Clyde, Great Duck Island Light, Goose Rocks Station on Fox Island, Two Lights Station on Cape Elizabeth, and Spring Point Light in Casco Bay. Wilson’s interests were by no means limited to decoys. He carved a variety of songbirds, decoratives, weathervanes, and big cats. A pair of Wilson tigers is featured in the American Identities exhibit, on display as a part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York.

This rare merganser sculpture showcases the decoy as American folk art. The body has bold, raised wing carving and the inletted head is in a reaching position. A strip of leather is held through a slot in the base of the bill to represent a morsel of food. Wilson’s attention to anatomy is commendable, with the inside of the lower bill accurately painted red. The intricate bill’s survival is remarkable given the bird’s use as a hunting decoy. The underside is inscribed “Chester Marshall, Marshall Point Light House, Port Clyde, Maine.” Original paint with even gunning wear. A few old paint drips. Tight age line in back of neck.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, pp. 147-149.

Robert Bishop, American Folk Sculpture, New York, NY, 1985, p. 302, pl. 560, related mallard illustrated.

Alan G. Haid and Brandy S. Culp, The Allure of the Decoy: Historic Charleston Foundation Presents Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Alan G. Haid, Charleston, SC, 2013, p. 15, rigmate illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Decoys & Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, February 1 & 2, 1985, front cover and lot 117A, rigmate illustrated.

$14,000 - $18,000 268

ORLANDO “OS” BIBBER 1882-1970 | SOUTH HARPSWELL, ME

324

324 Turned-Head Long-Tail Drake Orlando “Os” Bibber (1882-1970) South Harpswell, ME, c. 1910 16 in. long

This turned-head long-tailed drake was carved by renowned Maine maker “Os” Bibber. In Bird Decoys of North America, author Robert Shaw writes, “[Bibber was] a sophisticated man who worked as a chief engineer on steamships that ran from Portland to New Brunswick and often as far south as Cuba.

Known as Os or Ollie, he made decoys that are atypical of the Maine coast...He was apparently a fastidious man who, unlike Huey, made decoys only for his own use and devoted considerable time to their making.”

This decoy is a closely related rigmate to the iconic Bibber long-tailed drake which was also held in the Johnson Collection. It displays fine head carving and a long and wide body that finishes with elegant elongated lines. Bibber’s deceptively simple paint pattern has produced an exceptional minimalist presentation of this sleek sea duck species. Original paint with moderate gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection LITERATURE: Joe Engers, ed., The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys, Lewes, DE, 1990, pp. 33-35. related decoy illustrated.

Guyette & Schmidt Inc., North American Decoys at Auction, St. Michaels, MD, July 29 and 30, 2006, lot 83, p. 29, related example with touch-up to flaking illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, pp. 62, 145-146, related example illustrated and discussed.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale 2010, Plymouth, MA, July 22-23, 2010, lot 726, related hen illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Johnson Collection of American Bird Decoys, The Sporting Sale 2021, Hingham, MA, July 9, 2021, back cover and lot 22, rigmate illustrated.

$18,000 - $24,000

269

GEORGE R. HUEY 1866-193 | FRIENDSHIP, ME

325

326

325 Merganser Drake

326 Merganser Drake

A sleek-bodied “Down East” sea duck decoy displaying an inletted head and elliptically carved eyes, two of the Huey’s hallmarks. The underside bears an inset circular weight and the maker’s signature along with his peninsular hometown of Friendship, Maine. Original paint with even gunning wear, appealing craquelure, and a hairline crack in neck.

A long, sleek-bodied, “Down East” sea duck decoy displaying the maker’s hallmarks, including an inletted head and elliptically carved eyes. The underside of the turned-head decoy is as racy as the topside with a recessed line tie and a poured weight. Signed by the maker on the bottom. Original paint with even gunning wear, appealing craquelure, and a minor ding to tail.

George R. Huey (1866-1937) Friendship, ME, c. 1880 18 3/4 in. long

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA,

1981, pp. 34 & 38, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 4, related example illustrated. $5,000 - $7,000

George R. Huey (1866-1937) Friendship, ME, c. 1880 18 3/4 in. long

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1981, pp. 34 & 38, related example illustrated.

Robert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, p. 4, related example illustrated.

$5,000 - $7,000

270

CHARLES A. SAFFORD 1877-1957 | NEWBURYPORT, MA

“In the flesh this snoozing goose is a drop-to-your-knees bird. It leaps into the pantheon of the greatest American goose decoys ever made, sculpture and function in perfect marriage.”

— Gwladys Hopkins discussing the related Vinal Safford goose in Decoy Magazine, 2009

271

CHARLES A. SAFFORD 1877-1957 | NEWBURYPORT, MA

327 Safford Sleeping Canada Goose Charles A. Safford (1877-1957) Newburyport, MA, c. 1920 37 in. long and 11 in. wide

Along with Captain Charles Osgood’s (1820-1886), Nathan Cobb Jr.’s (1825-1905), and A. Elmer Crowell’s (1862-1952) geese, Safford’s carvings have found their place as some of America’s most iconic ganders. With their exceptional forms construction, Safford sculptures capture the eye of decoy and folk art collectors alike. Finding any Safford decoy with strong Safford paint is a rarity, as the maker’s geese, with their grand size, were designed to spend entire gunning seasons out in the marsh.

Debuting at auction, this decoy has been owned by the same family since it retired from use. It is consigned directly from a North Shore family who discovered it in their hunting cabin, which sits just across the marsh from Safford’s camp. In the cabin were three other important Safford decoys, one of which was featured on the Massachusetts Waterfowl Stamp in 1998. Another bird in this cabin was The Safford Swimming Goose which was sold by Copley in 2019. Lastly, found with this sleeper was a spectacular silhouette decoy with the same distinct feather paint that is seen on this lot.

The revelation of this decoy marks an encore for this now iconic form. In 2009-2010, a flurry of publications celebrated the discovery of the first publicly known Safford sleeping goose after it was acquired in a private sale by Cap and Paige Vinal. The Vinal Safford sleeping goose went on to sell for over $500,000 in 2017.

As a trained cabinet maker, Safford’s construction techniques are enlightening. The grand body was made largely of a single piece of wood, with one board added to a lower edge to fill out the massive form. The sophisticated head and neck were carved with full integrity using several expertly joined blocks of wood. Impressively, Safford chose to inlay blocks of wood in which to set the glass eyes.

272

This decoy was finished by Safford with the best paint seen on any of his decoys. Indeed, this paint pattern is among the finest seen on any goose decoy, and relates closely to the Harry V. Long Nesting Goose by Elmer Crowell. This elaborate feather paint has only been seen on one other large goose by the maker, the aforementioned silhouette decoy. The surface has developed a desirable dry patina and appealing craquelure.

In exceptional Safford gunning paint with even hunting wear.

Original fill in crack in the back. A few tight age lines along sides.

Wood lamination in head and neck remains tight with slight separation at bill tip.

PROVENANCE: Discovered in a hunting cabin near Safford’s camp

Private Collection, Newbury, Massachusetts, by descent in the family from the rig owner

LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 158, other sleeper illustrated.

Gwladys Hopkins, Massachusetts Masterpieces, Lincoln, MA, 2016, pp. 20-2 and 78-79, other sleeper illustrated and Safford discussed.

Jay S. Williamson, Decoys of the Newburys, Plum Island and Surrounding Communities: Catalog of an Exhibition at the Cushing House Museum, Newburyport, MA, 1999, pp. 41-42, straight-head goose illustrated.

Massachusetts Waterfowl Stamp, Canada Goose by Charles Safford, 1998, rigmate from the same cabin illustrated.

Joe Engers, ed., “Year in Review 2017,” Decoy Magazine, 2017, front cover and p. 8, other sleeper illustrated.

Gwladys Hopkins, “Charles A. Safford and His Canada Goose Decoys,” Decoy Magazine, May/June 2009, front cover and pp. 2429, decoys and miniatures illustrated and discussed.

$100,000 - $200,000

327

273

The Dynamic Goose

The Canada goose has long been an intriguing species to

in fields and along shorelines, they are the most probable

artists, decoy makers, hunters, and collectors alike. Their

of all decoys to be used on land and or water. In addition

grand size, adaptability, ubiquity across North America, and

to the typical floater, stick-ups and hybrids are not at all

long necks with a myriad of poses have led to many decoy

uncommon.

interpretations over the years. No other species has been represented with such variation. The straight head, sentinel,

History’s premier makers have been compelled to

turned head, tucked head, and swimmer have all been

address a number of challenges before designing a

successfully rendered in wood by carvers over the

top-flight Canada goose decoy, such as the selection of

centuries; however, it is perhaps the serpentine form of the

materials and construction techniques for the body, head,

sleeper or preener that most captures our imaginations as

and neck. Elmer Crowell’s geese carved for Harry V. Long

collectors.

were solid and he used several pieces of wood to create dynamic head positions. Nathan Cobb’s approach was

As anyone who has spent time observing geese knows, a

fundamentally different, hollowing out bodies and

gaggle on the water or on land will nearly always display

employing a single twisted myrtle branch for the head.

multiple head positions simultaneously. For instance, when one sentinel’s head goes down to eat, a feeder’s head

The Safford Sleeping Goose (lot 327), with its grand

comes up to look out. Both the individuals and groupings

scale, serpentine head, sculptural design, and meticulous

remain perpetually dynamic and many poses can be

feathering, resides amongst the greatest goose decoys ever

represented in a rig. Given the geese’s propensity to land

created. .

274

Charles A. Safford (1877-1957) Sleeping Goose, lot 327.

The Earnest-Gregory-O’Brien Dovetailed Goose.

Charles A. Safford (1877-1957) Vinal Sleeping Goose.

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Preening Goose.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) H. V. Long Preening Goose.

Capt. Charles C. Osgood (1820-1886) Preening Goose.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) H. V. Long Nesting Goose.

Nathan F. Cobb Jr. (1825-1905) Hissing Goose.

275

Charles Augustus Safford's Sleeping Goose Decoys

by Robert Shaw

In recent years, Charles A. Safford (1877–1957) has

the other birds in the rig were painted in muted colors that

rightfully been recognized as one of the most talented and

subtly complemented the carving but drew no attention to

imaginative of all American decoy makers. Safford was a

themselves.

multifaceted master craftsman—a highly skilled cabinetmaker and boat builder, a renowned silversmith, a tool

Safford rigorously planned every inch of his birds, using

maker and leather worker and more—whose skills were

precisely measured patterns he sketched around on each

sought by many of Newbury’s most prestigious businesses.

side of their bodies before he started carving. While he did

He was supremely confident in his own abilities; although

not use them on other birds, he also left behind stencils

he was good friends with George Boyd, and undoubtedly

that match the complex paint patterns on the sleeper

appreciated the precision of Boyd’s work, the only real

being offered in this auction. The paint on that bird is old

competitor he ever knew was himself.

and all by Safford’s hand, exhibiting signs of heavy use. Like its mate, the bird exudes enormous power from a distance,

But Safford was also a passionate hunter and dedicated

while its integration of subtle carving and highly detailed

observer of wild birds who preferred life in the wild to work

wing and feather paint rewards the closest scrutiny. The

in town. So, in the early 1920s, he built a hunting camp on

whole decoy is a symphony of interacting lines and fluid

Plum Island, an eight-mile-long barrier beach just south of

curves that keep the viewer’s eye in constant motion.

Newburyport, where he lived year ‘round until 1942. There, he created a visionary rig of oversized geese for his own

Safford also carved decorative miniature decoys. Fifteen

use. Their bodies and many of the necks were carved from

of these miniature birds are owned and exhibited by the

tightly laminated lumberyard boards and the big heavy

Museum of Old Newbury, and among them is a sleeping

birds were attached to the corners of flat metal triangles

goose, with feather and wing paint virtually identical to this

Safford set out in the marsh near his blind, where they

much larger working decoy. He also left behind a flat, life-

remained throughout the hunting season.

sized silhouette stick-up field goose that is painted almost identically.

The best known and most celebrated goose from that rig is a sleeper, with its muscular neck and head reaching back

We will probably never know which came first, the

and resting on its body. Now, to everyone’s surprise, it

laminated sleeper whose construction and paint conform

turns out that Safford made not one, but two sleepers and

with the other geese in the rig or the one carved from a

the second bird differs from all the other geese in his Plum

single block and painted in such a different style. Both are

Island rig in two profound ways. First, its body was carved

extraordinary works of sculptural art that transcend their

from a single solid block of wood. Second, the bird’s

origins as working decoys, and comparing the two can only

elaborately detailed and prominent wing and feather paint pattern is unique among Stafford’s full-bodied geese. All

expand our appreciation for Safford’s genius.

.

Robert Shaw is an independent scholar and curator and the author of North American Bird Decoys: Nature, History, and Art and American Weathervanes: The Art of the Winds.

276

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

328

328 A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) Canada Geese, c. 1910 signed “AE Crowell” lower right oil on board, 8 by 10 in.

Although Crowell has often been considered a self-taught artist, in 1876 his parents hired a painting instructor to give Elmer twenty-four painting lessons for one dollar each, a rather large sum at that time. Though few in number, the majority of Crowell’s paintings that survive today depict hunting scenes and birds. This work depicting a flock of Canada geese alighting is no exception.

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Collection, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above

$12,000 - $18,000

This important work retains the distinction of a direct line of provenance, descending through the original owner’s family.

277

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

329

329 Canada Goose

330 Early Oversize Black Duck

An outstanding Canada goose with wet-on-wet feathering, two-piece head construction, and finely incised bill, nostril, and mandible carving. The underside bears the maker’s deep oval brand.

Black duck decoys were Crowell’s signature species. When The Magazine Antiques chose a Crowell raised-wing example for their September 1989 cover, it cemented the iconic status of the maker’s black duck. This carving has a refined plump body and proud breast that relates to the birds Crowell made for his renowned patron John C. Phillips. It was finished with the maker’s signature feathering. The underside bears an early and crisp Crowell oval brand. Original paint with light gunning wear, including a few rubs.

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1920 22 in. long

Crowell geese in strong original paint are exceedingly rare.

The form, paint, and condition of this decoy place it, with the Joseph Sherer goose, as one of the very finest geese by the maker to surface in the market for over a decade. Original paint with even gunning wear, age line in right cheek, check in underside, minor fill to chip along underside of bill.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 46, related example illustrated.

Copley Fine Art Auction, The Winter Sale 2013, New York, NY, 2013, lot 334, Sherer-Doherty goose illustrated.

$12,000 - $18,000

278

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1912 17 in. long

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp.

232-233, black ducks illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

A. ELMER CROWELL

1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

330

331

15

331 Black Duck

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1920 17 in. long

A classic working black duck with a turned head by the Cape Cod master. The underside bears a blue and white collection sticker with the inscription: “7/13/76 Pleasant Bay Antiques Crowell black duck in original paint” and a related inscription has been written directly on the carving as well. Original paint with moderate gunning wear. Original scar in left wing.

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, pp. 232-233, black ducks illustrated.

$1,500 - $2,500

PROVENANCE: Pleasant Bay Antiques Private Collection, Connecticut

279

A. ELMER CROWELL 1862-1952 | EAST HARWICH, MA

332

333

332 Oversize Goose Head Bookends A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1920 12 1/2 in. tall, 9 in. wide

A pair of oversize goose head bookends by the master from East Harwich. One is twelve-and-one-half inches tall and the other is nine-and-one-half inches tall.

Both are mounted on boards which can be hung on a wall. Original paint with moderate wear, paint drip and wood chip to bottom of bird with the longer neck.

333 Swimming Merganser A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1925 19 1/2 in. long

A swimming red-breasted merganser with carved tail feathers and Crowell’s oval brand on the bottom. Swimming decoy patterns by Crowell are rare with a few black ducks, teal, and these iconic merganser forms known. In old working paint with heavy gunning wear, including rubs along sides and bill tip, and one missing eye.

PROVENANCE: Randolph Payson Rig, Hyannis Port, Massachu-

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts

$1,000 - $2,000

setts, acquired from maker Elizabeth Codman Payson Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving, Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 59, related pair illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000 280

334 Pintail Hen

Thomas C. Marshall (1903-1983) Fairfield, CT, c. 1935 18 in. long

334

Plying his local waters of the Housatonic River, Marshall was not only a hunter and a carver, but was also considered by many to be “the” expert on Connecticut decoys. Indeed, Marshall was both a contributor and prominent feature of Henry Chitwood’s Connecticut Decoys book. The book was published four years after his passing and none other than Adele Earnest opens the volume with a dedication to this shoreline legend.

This hollow pintail was made in the regional style, most similar to the carver’s friend Charles “Shang” Wheeler.

In 1982, this decoy was selected by the authors of Floating Sculptures: The Decoys of the Delaware River, for inclusion in their book, as they had flatteringly mistaken it as having come from the Delaware. Two inscriptions on the underside identify the decoy correctly. Original paint with even gunning wear and a two-thirds bill replacement.

335

PROVENANCE: Lloyd Johnson Collection Private Collection LITERATURE: H. Harrison Huster and Doug Knight, Floating Sculptures: The Decoys of the Delaware River, Spanish Fork, UT, 1982, p. 153, pl. 73, exact decoy illustrated.

$2,000 - $3,000

335 Black Duck

Benjamin Holmes (1843-1912) Stratford, CT, c. 1890 17 in. long

A classic hollow Stratford decoy with scratch-painted head, carved bill detail, and shoe-button eyes. Bottom retains original weight, along with “B. Holmes” and “BD1” cold stamp and “Kangas” collection brand. This decoy won “Best in Show” at the 1982 Mid-Atlantic Wildfowl Festival and the blue ribbon is included with this carving. In repaint with gunning wear.

336

PROVENANCE: Benjamin Holmes Rig Gene and Linda Kangas Collection Private Collection, Connecticut

$1,000 - $2,000

336 Important Swimming Coot

Captain Edwin Bachman (1872-1914) Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, c. 1900 12 in. long

Bachman is a highly regarded Nova Scotia maker known for his folky merganser and goldeneye decoys. This coot represents a possibly unique species for the carver and one of the most animated coot decoys by any maker.

Original paint with gunning wear, inlaid neck joint is slightly loose.

LITERATURE: Dale and Gary Guyette, Decoys of Maritime Canada, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 69, related decoys illustrated.

281

KEITH MUELLER

B. 1956 | KILLINGWORTH, CT

337

337 Eider Drake with Mussel

A full-bodied decoy with incised wing tips and eyes. The carving bears the maker’s oval “Mueller” signature brand.

Original paint with light wear.

Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT, c. 1980 21 in. long

$1,400 - $1,800

338

282

339

338 Preening Curlew Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT, c. 2010 10 in. long

340

A preening curlew decoy with raised wings and expertly blended feather detail. The underside displays the maker’s “Keith Mueller” signature brand. Original paint with minimal wear.

339 Calling Bobwhite Quail Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT, c. 2020 12 in. tall

A life-size calling bobwhite quail carving mounted on a carved and painted stump in the grass. Mueller used this elaborate upland species as a model to demonstrate his mastery of fine feather paint detail. The anatomically accurate carving illustrates the maker’s attention to detail and thorough knowledge of and passion for ornithology. The underside of the hardwood base is signed with both the maker’s oval brands.

341

Mueller shares his thoughts on this work: “The life-size decorative Bobwhite Quail is carved in a calling position perched on a pine stump. The crest feathers, the bill, and the tongue are carved separately from American dogwood and inserted. The quail is painted with oil paints to accentuate the fine brush painted details. The wood for the base is peach wood to compliment the composition of the calling quail.”

Original paint with minimal wear.

340 Miniature Atlantic Common Eider Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT, c. 2020 5 in. long

342

Carved in a standard relaxed position, this eider exhibits raised, crossed wingtips and exceptional paint. It bears the maker’s oval brand on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

341 Miniature American Woodcock Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT, c. 2020 4 1/2 in. tall

Mueller shares his thoughts on this miniature series and this woodcock carving in particular: “These are the first miniatures that I have carved in this style which I call contemporary decorative. The birds are carved to accurate dimensional scale from American holly wood and painted with oil paints. The flying American Woodcock is depicted in a flushing take-off posture which is common for this bird as it flushes from under your feet. The carefully composed placement of the kicked-up leaves help portray the bird’s rapid departure from the leaf litter.”

This highly refined decorative miniature woodcock is signed on the underside of the base with the maker’s “Keith Mueller” signature brand. Original paint with minimal wear.

342 Miniature Red-Breasted Merganser Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT, c. 2020 5 in. long

This red-breasted merganser drake is carved in a reaching posture with incised feather groups and exceptional paint. The carving bears the maker’s oval brand on the underside. Original paint with minimal wear.

283

343 Rare Oversize Willet Pair

Annisquam, Cape Ann, MA, c. 1890 15 1/4 in. long

A pair of grand willet with incised eye detail and split tails. The early and renowned collector Winsor White owned a rigmate to this exceedingly rare oversize pair. The bold pattern was carved from a two-inch board and is fitted with an applied head with inset tack eyes. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear.

284

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Decoys and Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, July 13 & 14, 1976, lot 320, rigmate illustrated.

$10,000 - $15,000

Lincoln yellowlegs (left) shown for scale.

343

285

344

345

344 Willet

Charles W. Thomas (b. 1875) Assinippi, MA, c. 1900 14 1/2 in. long

A large tack-eye willet with incised and slightly raised wing detail. Dr. Starr owned a closely related rigmate plover by Thomas which is illustrated and discussed in his book. Original paint with moderate wear, reset neck, crack along underside, and some varnish has been removed.

LITERATURE: George Ross Starr Jr., M.D., Decoys of the Atlantic Fly-

way, New York, NY, 1974, p. 73, fig. 24, right, rigmate illustrated. $2,500 - $3,500

286

345 Greater Yellowlegs Seabrook, NH, c. 1925 15 in. long

An animated shorebird with elongated features linking it closely to the Seabrook area and the George Boyd school of carving. The large body has two-piece construction. In a second coat of paint with light gunning wear and minor spot of touch-up to each side of head. Bill appears to be original. $2,000 - $3,000

NANTUCKET GOLDEN PLOVER PAIR

346

346 Golden Plover Pair Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 9 in. long

These decoys are identifiable with their distinct forms, most noticeably their sharp chines along their lower wing edges and flat bottoms. They display intricate “golden” feathering along their backs. Original paint with light gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Nantucket LITERATURE: Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p. 144, lot 589, rigmate illustrate.

$8,000 - $12,000

287

347

347 Important Black-Bellied Plover Captain Eldridge Chatham, MA, c. 1900 11 in. long

A black-bellied plover with tack eyes, a split tail, and spring plumage. Ted Harmon identified a rigmate as the work of Captain Eldridge of Chatham, Massachusetts. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Linda Johnson Collection LITERATURE: Decoys Unlimited Auctions, Rare and Important Decoys, Related Artifacts & Americana, July 21 & 22, 2002, lot 121, rigmate illustrated.

$3,500 - $4,500

348

348 Minnow-In-Throat Yellowlegs Massachusetts, c. 1880 11 1/2 in. long

A feeding yellowlegs with a split tail and distinct minnow-in-throat form. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Bird Decoys, Bird Carvings, and Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, July 1983, lot 796, rigmate illustrated.

$3,000 - $5,000

288

349 Golden Plover

Nantucket, MA, c. 1890 10 in. long

349

A flat-sided golden plover from Nantucket with a clean geometric form. Original paint with light gunning wear and a reset bill.

PROVENANCE: Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection LITERATURE: Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p. 89, lot 368, rigmate illustrated.

350 Golden Plover

Nantucket, MA, c. 1890 10 in. long

A plump decoy with split-tail carving and green-gold feathering. A rare opportunity to obtain an excellent example from this prized rig. Hailing from this storied island, renowned for its 19th-century plover migrations.

The underside bears the inked “Hillman Collection” stamp. In addition to Hillman, birds from this rig were collected by William J. Mackey Jr. and David Rockefeller, who acquired one from Donal C. O’Brien Jr. This bird is a rigmate to lot 152 from the Horton Collection. Original paint with gunning wear, bill is an early replacement. Tiny amount of fill in one shot hole on left wing.

350

PROVENANCE: John Hillman Collection Private Collection, Nantucket Private Collection, Massachusetts LITERATURE: Christie’s, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lot 1054 (bottom bird), rigmate illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, West Farmington, ME, 1996, lot 169, exact decoy illustrated.

351

351 Golden Plover

Nantuckety, MA, c. 1850 9 1/4 in. long

This decoy displays sharp chines along their lower wing edges that surround the flat undersides. Fitted with a pair of side-by-side holes for wire legs, this plover displays intricate “golden” feathering along its back. Original paint with even gunning wear, including rub to bill tip.

LITERATURE: John and Shirley Delph, New England Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p. 86, related decoy illustrated.

289

352

352 Rig of Three Plover Hingham, MA, c. 1900 12 in. long

A rig of three glass-eyed plover with large bodies. Two have split tails and one has a closed tail. Original paint with moderate gunning wear and replaced bills. Closed tail bird has touch-up by stick hole, to paint drip, and reset neck. $5,000 - $7,000

353 Curlew

Duxbury, MA, c. 1900 15 in. long

353

A reaching curlew carved from a one-anda-half-inch board. Original paint with heavy gunning wear mostly down to the wood, age line in top of head, and partial bill replacement.

354 Rig of Four Sandpiper Silhouettes Massachusetts, c. 1900 10 in. long

Original paint with heavy even gunning wear.

Two have reset necks.

354

290

THE FELDMAN “BANANA BIRD”

355

355 Yellowlegs “Banana Bird” Cape Cod, MA, c. 1890 10 in. long

A lesser yellowlegs decoy with a graceful elongated form by an unknown Massachusetts carver. This carving was one of the ten decoy lots in the Howard and Catherine Feldman Collection sold at Sotheby’s on October 9, 1998. The underside bears the Nelson Collection ink stamp. Strong original paint with even gunning wear and a small chip to the top of tail.

LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Rare American Decoys, Bird Carvings & Related Materials, Hyannis, MA, July 11 & 12, 1978, lot 485, exact decoy illustrated.

Joe Engers, “Sieger canvasback gets record price at Sotheby’s fall Americana auction,” Decoy Magazine, November/December 1998, p. 32, exact decoy illustrated.

PROVENANCE: Stanley Murphy Collection John H. Hillman Collection Howard and Catherine Feldman Collection Grant Nelson Collection

291

356

356 Mackey Ruddy Turnstone New Jersey, c. 1880 9 in. long

An early New Jersey ruddy turnstone displaying incised wing detail. The underside bears the Mackey Collection stamp and expertly incised “D.H.” initials. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, some touch-up, damage to one eye, rough-patch on left breast, and a replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, Hyannis, MA, 1974, Sessions V & VI, lot 418, exact decoy illustrated.

Quintina Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, PA, 1972, p. 47, exact decoy illustrated, image reversed.

357

$1,500 - $2,500

357 Willet

New Jersey, c. 1900 14 in. long

A slender willet carved from a two-inch board with carved wings and a long dropped tail. Original paint with even gunning wear, flaking around knot on left side. Replaced bill with restoration around top of head.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

358 Rig of Three Dowitcher 358

Atlantic Coast, c. 1900 12 in. long

These three slender carvings befit the genus name for the dowitcher, Limnodromus, which means “marsh racer” in ancient Greek. Each was carved from a one-inch board.

Original paint with even gunning wear and old tail chips to two birds. One bird has white spatter on neck.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, p. 40, pl. 42, related example illustrated.

292

359

360

361

362

359 Rare Oversize Black Duck Frank Strey (1890-1966) Oshkosh, WI, c. 1920 19 in. long

A hump-backed decoy with incised bill detail, a gently sloped breast, and an upswept paddle tail. The underside is rigged with a carefully inset weight and anchor tie. In working paint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

360 Preening Black Duck Barnegat Bay, NJ, c. 1890 14 in. long

361 Swimming Brant Atlantic Coast, c. 1900 18 in. long

A brant in a swimming pose with the species’ characteristically uplifted tail. As found.

362 Feeding Mallard Hen Mississippi River, c. 1945 13 1/2 in. long

A feeding mallard hen with distinctive rocking-horse form. The deep-V underside bears a “W.M.S.” stamp. Old paint with gunning wear.

A bold preening black duck with a hollow body. Preeners and sleepers from this region are especially rare. In old working paint with gunning wear and a tight age line through the neck.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

293

G. BERT GRAVES 1880-1956 | PEORIA, IL

363

363 Rare Canvasback Hen G. Bert Graves (1880-1956) Peoria, IL, c. 1920 16 1/2 in. long

This hollow high head represents one of the maker’s rarest diving duck carvings. Finding a hen in original paint is challenging, while the drakes are far more common. Original paint with even gunning wear, including minor flaking and age lines to end grain. Crack in neck.

LITERATURE: Donna Tonelli, Fish and Fowl Decoys of the Great Lakes, Atglen, PA, 2002, p. 122, related decoys illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

294

G. BERT GRAVES

1880-1956 | PEORIA, IL

364

364 Excellent Mallard Pair

G. Bert Graves (1880-1956) and Catherine Elliston (1849-1953) Peoria, IL, c. 1920 17 in. long

A refined pair of Graves carvings showcasing the incomparable original paint of Catherine Elliston (1849-1953). Each retains its original Graves weight along the underside. Original paint with light gunning wear, hairline crack in drake’s neck, hen has some dings and rubs along sides and bill.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Nevada LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 100, related pair illustrated.

$5,000 - $8,000

295

365

366

365 Rare Mallard Pair

366 Carriage-House Mallard Drake

In addition to his decoys, Fred Allen’s duck hunting experiences inspired a number of popular devices, including the first commercially manufactured modern duck call, Allen’s Nickel-Plated Duck Caller. While Allen’s hunting equipment is well-documented through his advertisements and patents, little is known about his bird carving and examples of Allen decoys are difficult to come by.

A stylish mallard drake with a cocked-back head and delicate bill and tail carving. This carving is believed to be from a rig found in a carriage house on the Ernest Lehmann estate, in Lake Villa, Illinois. A feather-light hollow, two-piece body with a hollow wooden head, fastened together with 19th-century furniture “T” nails. Original paint with even gunning wear and head is slightly loose.

This mallard pair exhibits the low body and full cheeks seen in the small number of Allen decoys to have survived. Original paint with gunning wear, including chips to hen’s bill and tail. The drake’s neck has been professionally restored and his body seam has been reset.

PROVENANCE: Carriage House Rig Private Collection

Fred Allen (1838-1912) Monmouth, IL, c. 1880 15 in. long

LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 22, related redhead illustrated.

$3,500 - $4,500

296

Brink Lane (attr.)

Lacon, IL, c. 1890 14 1/2 in. long

LITERATURE: Gary Lane Meister, “Brink Lane,” Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine, May/June 2002, pp. 26-32, July/August 2002, pp. 40-45.

$1,500 - $2,000

JOE MARR

1879-1954 | HERON LAKE, MN

367

367 Rare Mallard Drake Joe Marr (1879-1954) Heron Lake, MN, c. 1890 13 in. long

Referred to as “The Chesapeake of the West,” Heron Lake was a waterfowling mecca when Marr was carving at the close of the 1800s. This exceptional drake was featured in the Center for American Decoy’s 2019 exhibition, “American Decoy: The Invention,” and the accompanying book with the same title.

This exhibit was among the finest ever assembled, drawing pinnacle works from around the country, including The Harmon Crowell plover trio, the Masterworks of the Illinois River collection, and the Shelburne Museum’s Barber Dudley ruddy duck.

Marr decoys of any species are rare with most of his carvings being canvasbacks. Describing canvasbacks in the aforementioned exhibit, author Joseph Tonelli writes they are a “masterpiece of functional folk art created by local market hunters for their own use. Its broad pancake-shaped body and strikingly high head are counterbalanced by a large wooden keel, allowing the decoy to ride smoothly across the lake.”

pairs with a mounting plate in the body. The threading of this removable head is slightly loose. Rigging line is still attached.

The form, paint, condition, rarity, and exhibition history of this wild drake place it at the epicenter of great Midwest folk art. Original paint with appealing craquelure and gunning wear, including rubs to edges of body, right edge has imperfection to wood reinforced when the bird was made.

PROVENANCE: Private Museum Collection, New Mexico, acquired c. 1970s Private Collection, Illinois, acquired from the above, c. 2008 LITERATURE: Zac Zetterberg, ed., American Decoy: The Invention, Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 97, exact decoy illustrated.

EXHIBITED: Peoria, Illinois, American Decoy: The Invention, Peoria

Riverfront Museum, February 9–April 28, 2019. $10,000 - $14,000

The bottom retains its original keel with a poured-lead weight.

The head is attached by a screw in the bottom of the neck that 297

368

369

368 Oversize Black Duck

369 Black Duck Trio

A rare oversize Horner duck with a rotund body. According to Cape May carver and historian Jamie Hand, early collectors Jack Conover and Dick Morton collected decoys from this rig. The circumference of the hollow body is over twenty-two inches. Original paint with gunning wear and traces of working touch-up.

A trio of black ducks displaying flocked paint, which was popular among New Jersey hunters for its no-gloss finish. The carving with the swept-back head features a humped back, pinched breast, and very thin neck. Also included is a hen and drake of his low-profile model. Original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942) West Creek, NJ, c. 1910 18 in. long

LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., New Jersey Decoys, Exton, PA, 1983, p. 51, pl. 61, related decoy illustrated.

Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., American Bird Decoys From the Collection of the late William J. Mackey, Jr. Boston, MA, July 1973, lot 554, related decoy illustrated.

298

Clark C. Madara (1883-1953) Pitman, NJ, c. 1910 17 in. long

370

372

371

373

370 Red-Breasted Merganser Barnegat Bay, NJ, c. 1900 17 in. long

A hollow sheldrake with a long wooden crest. Mix of original and old working paint with gunning wear. Old nail in cracked neck.

Replaced bill.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

371 Hillman Hazlehurst Goldeneye New Jersey, c. 1890 15 1/2 in. long

An early, rare goldeneye drake out of the Hazlehurst Club rig.

This widely published decoy bears the Hillman Collection ink stamp and a “Hazlehurst” Club brand on the underside.

Appears to be original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: John Hillman Collection Richard and Lynn Gove Collection LITERATURE: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Exton, PA, 1979, p. 29, exact decoy illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p. 62, lot 218, exact decoy illustrated.

Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys: A North American Survey, Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 47, bottom bird, exact decoy illustrated.

372 Black Duck

Levi Rhodes Truex (1860-1934) Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1900 16 in. long

A hollow New Jersey carving with tight scratched-feather paint detail and a mellowed surface. Original paint with even gunning wear, several nails in neck, and some putty flaking from body seam.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

373 Mallard and Bluebill Drakes Philadelphia School Philadelphia, PA, c. 1880 13 and 17 in. long

Two early Philadelphia drakes with hollow bodies and chamfered weights. Restored, head of bluebill is a replacement, head of mallard has been reset.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

299

374

376

375

377

374 Plover in Winter Plumage Joe King (1835-1913) Manahawkin, NJ, c. 1880 8 in. long

A plover with incised wings. The underside bears the “P” brand for the Purnell Collection. Old working paint with even gunning wear, some old fill to shot holes, and chip to tip of bill.

376 Yellowlegs and Dowitcher

PROVENANCE: William H. Purnell Jr. Collection

New Jersey, c. 1900 10 and 11 in. long

375 Feeding Yellowlegs Pair

Two New Jersey shorebirds. Original paint with gunning wear.

The yellowlegs has a restored tail and bill. The dowitcher has an age line through its body.

Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

Manahawkin, NJ, c. 1900 10 in. long

Dr. Starr illustrates the larger of these birds in his book; the caption notes that it was found by William J. Mackey in Manahawkin, New Jersey, in 1932. This Mackey bird retains the Starr Collection Wood Duck ink stamp and Starr’s white-paper identification label on the underside marked “YL-20.” Original paint with heavy gunning wear and flaking.

Replaced bills.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection (plumper bird) Dr. George Ross Starr Jr. Collection (plumper bird) Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

300

LITERATURE: George Ross Starr Jr., M.D., Decoys of the Atlantic Flyway, New York, NY, 1974, p. 82, fig. 32, right, exact carving illustrated.

Guyette and Schmidt, Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996, St. Charles, IL, 1996, p. 156, lot 657, rigmate illustrated.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

377 Early Plover

John Henry Verity (1788-1866) attr.

Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1840 9 1/2 in. long

An early and alert Seaford gunning warrior. Heavy gunning wear mostly to bear wood, replaced bill. $400 - $600

378 Resting Black Duck

Robert “Bob” White (b. 1939) Tullytown, PA, 1990 14 1/2 in. long

378

A snuggle-head black duck with raised, incised wing tips and finely painted tail and head detail by this Delaware River living legend. The underside is signed and dated and weighted with a signature bobwhite-quail weight. Original paint with minimal wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

379 Black Duck Pair

Anthony G. Murray (1941-2005) Pungo, VA, c. 1990 19 in. long

A hollow pair of carvings with “AGM” incised on the undersides of both. One displays a turned head and the other is in a sleeping posture. Original paint with light wear.

379

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

380 Mallard and Black Duck Anthony G. Murray (1941-2005) Pungo, VA, c. 1990 17 in. long

A duo of turned-head ducks with a hen black duck and drake mallard. Both are signed by the maker with his “AGM” incised initials on the underside. Original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: Richard and Lynn Gove Collection

380

301

CHET RENESON B. 1934

381 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

381

Goose Hunting, 1974 signed and dated “Reneson ‘74” lower right watercolor, 19 1/4 by 28 in. $2,000 - $4,000

382 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

Black Duck Marsh, 1977 signed and dated “Reneson ‘77” lower right watercolor, 19 by 29 in.

382

$2,000 - $4,000

383

383 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) Wood Duck Marsh signed “Reneson” lower left watercolor, 17 3/4 by 27 1/2 in. $1,000 - $2,000

302

CHET RENESON

B. 1934

384 Chet Reneson (b. 1934) A New Day signed “Reneson” lower left watercolor, 20 1/4 by 28 in.

384

385 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

385

Walking the Riffles signed “Reneson” lower left watercolor, 20 by 28 in.

A copy of the limited-edition print, remarked and numbered 17/500, accompanies the painting.

386 Chet Reneson (b. 1934)

Grouse Hunting, 1975 signed and dated “Reneson ‘75” lower left watercolor, 21 by 29 in.

386

$2,000 - $4,000

303

387 Rob Leslie (b. 1947)

Blacks Dropping In, 1987 signed and dated “Rob Leslie © ‘87” lower right oil on board, 24 by 36 in. signed, titled, and dated on back

387

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

388 Daniel Loge (b. 1954)

388

Duck Hunting signed “Daniel Loge” lower right oil on board, 14 by 20 in.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Virginia

389 Paco Young (1958-2005) Moose Family, 1999 signed “Paco Young ©” lower right oil on canvas, 9 by 12 in. signed, titled, and dated on back

Young lived and worked in the South for most of his life. In 1994 he moved his family to Bozeman, Montana. In this environment, he spent much of his time outdoors, painting or fly fishing. He is known for his ability to capture the subtle effects of nature in his works and for his accurate depictions of animals in their habitats. A popular artist in his lifetime, Young died too soon, leaving behind a relatively small body of collectible work.

304

389

DAVID A. HAGERBAUMER

1921-2014

390 David A. Hagerbaumer (1921-2014)

390

Mallards, 1957 signed and dated “David Hagerbaumer 1957” lower right watercolor, 20 by 27 3/4 in.

391 David A. Hagerbaumer (1921-2014) Ruffed Grouse, 1963 signed and dated “David Hagerbaumer 1963” lower right watercolor, 12 1/2 by 17 1/4 in.

392

391

392 David A. Hagerbaumer (1921-2014)

Canada Geese, 2001 signed and dated “David Hagerbaumer 2001” lower right watercolor, 10 by 12 1/4 in. inscribed “and shortly a decent bunch of honkers appeared” lower center

305

393

395

394

393 Roland Green (1896-1972) Pheasant Trio signed “Roland Green” lower right watercolor, 11 1/4 by 17 1/4 in.

394 Philip Rickman (1891-1982)

Autumn Sunshine - Woodcock, 1964 signed and dated “Philip Rickman 1964” lower right watercolor, 9 1/2 by 12 1/2 in.

The Sportsman’s Gallery, New York, label on back

395 John Henry Hill (1839-1922) Quail signed “H.Hill” lower left oil on canvas, 6 1/2 by 4 1/2 in.

396 William A. Hottinger (1890-1950) Hunter and Pointers signed “W’m Hottinger” lower left oil on board, 27 by 18 in. $2,000 - $4,000

306

396

397 Peter Markham Scott (British, 1909-1989)

397

Whooper Swans, 1958 signed and dated “Peter Scott 1958” lower left oil on canvas, 24 1/4 by 24 1/4 in. titled on The Tryon Gallery, London label on back

Sir Peter Scott was described by David Attenborough as the “patron saint” of conservation in the UK. He founded the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, co-founded the World Wildlife Fund, and designed its iconic panda logo. As the son of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Peter continued in his father’s footsteps by conducting an expedition to Iceland in search of the breeding ground of the pink-footed goose. In 1975 Scott gave a scientific name to the Loch Ness Monster so it could be registered as an endangered species; the name turned out to be an anagram of “Monster Hoax by Sir Peter S.” He was the host of a BBC television series on natural history, and wrote and illustrated many books on birds and other subjects. He won a bronze medal in sailing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In addition to these many pursuits, Sir Peter Scott had his first art exhibition in London in 1933 and continued to paint throughout his life. $2,000 - $3,000

398 Walter Granville Smith (1870-1938)(attr.)

Trout Fishing in a Stream watercolor and gouache, 13 1/4 by 17 in.

398

A rare early depiction of a female angler.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Texas

399

399 William J. Koelpin Sr. (1938-1996)

Whimbrels with Fiddler Crab, 1974 signed and numbered “Wm. J. Koelpin” on base patinated bronze, 13 by 15 by 18 in. edition 13 of 25 (planned 45) PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

307

400

401

400 David A. Hagerbaumer (1921-2014)

Flushing Quail Covey, 1982 signed and dated “David Hagerbaumer 1982” lower left watercolor, 25 1/4 by 35 1/2 in.

This grand-scale work, featuring the bold flush of a covey of bobwhites, is one of the artist’s most impressive Southern works.

308

401 Jules Moigniez (French, 1835-1894) English Setter, 1880 signed “J. Moigniez” on top of base bronze, 12 by 7 1/2 by 4 in.

In addition to sculpting dogs, Moigniez is known for his bronzes of game birds and horses. He worked with his father, who cast all of his pieces in a foundry built specifically for creating his works. This close relationship allowed Moigniez to ensure that the remarkable amount of detail in his models made it into the final product. This attention to detail is apparent in the dog’s lush coat, tense stance, and raised paw.

OGDEN M. PLEISSNER

1905-1983

402

402 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

Down the York signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 14 3/4 by 22 in. titled on The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop, Inc., New York, New York label on back PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Connecticut Private Collection, Massachusetts

$25,000 - $35,000

309

Henry Sturgis Morgan (1900-1982)

By Chelsie Olney

The following works, lots 403–419, descended in the family of Henry Sturgis Morgan (1900–1982). A titan in the worlds of finance and philanthropy, Morgan was a founding partner of Morgan Stanley and played a pivotal role at the General Electric Company, still serving as the director emeritus when he died. Morgan also sat on the boards of Harvard University, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Community Service Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty in New York City.

Henry was the son of banker and philanthropist John Pierpont Morgan Jr. (1867–1943) and the grandson of J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913), one of America’s most successful financiers during the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era. In addition to forming J.P. Morgan and being a railroad tycoon, John Pierpont Morgan led the charge to consolidate industrial companies into multinational corporations, such as US Steel and General

Mr. Henry Sturgis Morgan, oil on canvas (detail), 1932, by John Quincy Adams, the cousin of Morgan’s wife, Catherine Adams Morgan (19021988).

Electric. When the Panic of 1907 struck, Morgan created

He was deeply involved in the America’s Cup and helped

a group of financiers that prevented the collapse of the US

to standardize yacht racing rules, a monumental

monetary system. He was a major patron of the arts and

achievement.

reportedly smoked a number of Havana cigars a day.

Henry Sturgis Morgan also shared his father and grandIn addition to his business achievements, Henry Sturgis

father’s love of hunting. Generations of Morgans

Morgan was a passionate sportsman. Like his father,

descended upon the sand spit of Long Point, located on

Morgan was the commodore of the New York Yacht Club.

SOURCES:

Junius S. Morgan. Further Recollections of Long Point. New York, 1953.

Toni & Dave Sample. “The Long Point Company’s Cottages.” The Log: Erie Yacht Club’s Journal, vol. III, issue 1, January/February 2005.

Wolfgang Saxon. “Henry S. Morgan is Dead at 81; Member of the Banking Family.” The New York Times, February 8, 1982, p. 10.

310

often ran in the family. To wit, Phineas, Charlie, and Jack Reeves worked at Long Point from 1866–1981.

The Morgan family commissioned two leading sporting artists of the day to render watercolors of shooting at Long Point. Grassing the Boat (lot 403) by Ogden M. Pleissner (1905–1983) and In the Marsh (lot 404), painted in 1937,

by Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896–1969) transport the viewer to the iconic hunting grounds that this prestigious sporting Jack Reeves at Long Point with member cabins in the background.

North American Decoys, Summer 1976.

family held so dear.

the northern shore of Lake Erie in Ontario, Canada, because of the bountiful waterfowl it attracted. Purchased as a private club in 1866, the iconic Long Point Company became an exclusive hunting retreat for the nation’s wealthiest and most powerful men. J.P. Morgan (1837–1913), J.P. Morgan Jr. (1867–1943), Junius Spencer Morgan III (1892–1960), and Henry Sturgis Morgan (1900–1982), were among the illustrious list of owners, along with John D. Rockefeller and Ducks Unlimited founder Robert Winthrop, to name a few.

Notably, the King of Great Britain, Edward VII (1841–1910),

Brand on the bottom of lot 405.

was a guest at Long Point. In the club’s boathouse, J.P. Morgan’s punt boat still resides. The boats were manned by punters, locals for whom punting and decoy carving

lot 405 311

312

OGDEN M. PLEISSNER

1905-1983

403

403 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983) Grassing the Boat signed “Pleissner” lower left watercolor, 16 by 26 in.

This classic Pleissner duck hunting scene was commissioned by the Morgan family, depicting duck hunting at Long Point.

As Peter Bergh writes, “Great sporting artists are great artists who know the habits of wild creatures and have committed to memory every detail of habitat. These are men who have experienced the thrill of an Atlantic salmon or a large trout taking a well-presented fly, the explosion of a bursting covey of quail, sunrise on a duck marsh, running the rapids in a canoe, sleeping under the stars, and in many other ways truly lived in nature. Partly because special experience is behind all true sporting art, it is in a class by itself, and has had very few masters...One can always sense, in Pleissner’s sporting pictures, that he is painting the things he likes to look at in the places he likes to be… .” This atmospheric work, depicting a duo of hunters, reflects the history of North American waterfowling and its ties to industry and businessmen who sought relaxation and escape in nature.

Indeed, Pleissner writes, “A large number of the fishing and shooting fraternity are awfully nice people who love to travel and enjoy the outdoors. They are conservationists and like to be out and see the game and the country. They’re damn fine people, I have found, and they and their bird dogs make very good friends.”

Included with this painting is a limited-edition hardcover book entitled The Long Point Company by Junius S. Morgan and Edward Harris.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family LITERATURE: Peter Bergh, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, Boston, MA, 1984,

pp. 73, 94. $40,000 - $60,000

For information regarding an NFT of this painting, visit mgnftx.com.

313

AIDEN LASSELL RIPLEY 1896-1969

404

404 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) In the Marsh, 1937 watercolor, 15 1/2 by 22 in. signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower left

This commanding Ripley waterfowl scene was commissioned by the Morgan family, complete with black Labrador retriever, it captures the companionship and anticipation of an early morning hunt.

Included with this painting is a limited-edition hardcover book entitled The Long Point Company by Junius S. Morgan and Edward Harris.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection

Private Collection, by descent in the family $20,000 - $30,000

For information regarding an NFT of this painting, visit mgnftx.com.

314

405

405 The Morgan Reeves Canada Goose

Long Point Company, Ontario, Canada, c. 1935 23 in. long

406

This is the best decoy from the recent unveiling of the Henry Sturgis Morgan rig. H. S. Morgan was a grandson of J.P. Morgan (1837–1913) and a founding partner of Morgan Stanley.

A grand Long Point goose from the Morgan rig with the “HSM” brand on the bottom. Dry original paint with even gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family

$6,500 - $8,500

406 Reeves Canada Goose

Long Point Company, Ontario, Canada, c. 1935 23 in. long

407

A hollow decoy with the “HSM” brand. Dry original paint with heavy gunning wear, including age lines, flaking, and some discoloration.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family

$1,000 - $3,000

407 Reeves Pintail

Long Point Company, Ontario, Canada, c. 1890 16 in. long

A hollow canvas-covered decoy with a “CAG” brand on the underside. Old working paint with heavy gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Charles H. Gooderham Rig

Henry Sturgis Morgan Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family $500 - $1,000

315

408

408 Joan Eagle (1924-2016)

Dunottar Ambrose Light, 1964 signed and dated “Joan Eagle ‘64’” lower right oil on canvas, 16 by 12 in.

According to the family, J.P. Morgan hunted near Dunnottar Castle in Scotland, and brought hunting Labradors from the area to the States.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

$200 - $400

409 Exceedingly Rare Large Pintail Drake Miniature Allen J. King (1878-1963) North Scituate, RI, c. 1935 bird is 9 1/2 in. long, lamp is 26 in.

This exceptional nine-and-one-half-inch-long pintail showcases King at a larger scale than his usual miniatures. The bird is on an elaborate base which is affixed to a lamp. Morgan acquired this from the Crossroads of Sport in New York City, circa 1935. Original paint with even wear and missing end of tail. Some gesso loss at feet.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection, acquired from the Crossroads of Sport, New York Private Collection, by descent in the family LITERATURE: Joseph Ellis, Birds in Wood and Paint, Hanover, NH, 2009, front cover and pp. 108-111, special larger Kings illustrated and discussed.

$2,000 - $3,000

409

316

410

411

412

413

410 Two Lamps with Carvings

412 Two Ceramic Lamps with Birds

c. 1940 teal is 6 in. long

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

Two lamps, one with a green-winged teal and the other with flying canvasbacks. The canvasbacks are by A.J. Dando. As found with one missing wing.

$200 - $300

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection

Private Collection, by descent in the family

413 Three Miniature Birds black duck is 8 in. long

$200 - $300

Three miniatures, a J.B. Garton black duck, Jack Reeves pintail, and W. Benham loon. Original paint with light wear.

411 Henry Emerson Tuttle (1890-1946)

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

Two Etchings each signed “H. E.Tuttle” lower center

Nesting Woodcock, 1930 (not illustrated) drypoint, 9 by 10 in.

Nantucket Owl, 1923 drypoint, 9 7/8 by 7 7/8 in.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

$200 - $300

317

AUBREY J. DANDO B. 1885 | PHILADELPHIA, PA

414

414 Miniature Flying Mallard Pair Aubrey J. Dando (b. 1885) Philadelphia, PA, c. 1930 3 3/4 in. long

As found with reset wings.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

$200 - $400

415

415 Miniature Flying Pintail Pair Aubrey J. Dando (b. 1885) Philadelphia, PA, c. 1930 4 in. long

As found with reset wings.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

$200 - $400

416

416 Miniature Flying Canvasback and Geese Aubrey J. Dando (b. 1885) Philadelphia, PA, c. 1930 geese are 6 1/2 in. long

As found.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Collection Private Collection, by descent in the family

$200 - $400

318

417 Two Canvasbacks c. 1940

417

A Reeves canvasback with a “JSW” brand. Original paint with even gunning wear and one-third of bill missing.

A sixteen-inch-long Wildfowler canvasback with two “HSM” brands and one “LPC” brand. Working repaint with gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family

$300 - $400

418 Two Reeves Mallards

Reeves Long Point Company, Ontario, Canada, c. 1935 16 in. long

418

One is branded “HSM” three times and the other is stenciled “RSM” and “CBT.” As found.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family

$400 - $600

419 Two Reeves Pintail Drakes

Reeves Long Point Company, Ontario, Canada, c. 1935 16 1/4 in. long

419

Each has the “HSM” brand and stencil. As found.

PROVENANCE: Henry Sturgis Morgan Rig Private Collection, by descent in the family

$400 - $600

319

420

421

422

420 Jim Schmiedlin (1945-2015) Buffleheads, Chatauqua, NY, 2014 Painting on driftwood 72 in. long

A Pittsburgh native, Jim proudly served in the US Navy from 1965 to 1971. He began carving in his spare time while employed at Pittsburgh Brewing (Iron City Beer), where he worked for forty years. Today, Schmiedlin’s work is among the most sought after of any decoy maker who carved in the last seventy years, and it currently holds the record for a contemporary decoy.

This rare example represents one of the only Schmiedlin paintings to appear at auction. The design is grand in concept and execution, with flocks of buffleheads on the wing and “Lake Chatauqua, NY” inscribed over the conifer trees. The paint was meticulously applied with the maker’s signature blended feathering technique.

The work is signed and dated on the top side and the underside. The underside also bears an inked inscription which

reads, “This piece of driftwood was found on the Lake Erie shore at Barcelona, N.Y. Nov. 2013.” The artist was known to scour the shorelines for material after a hunt.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

421 Sperm Whale

Gus Mirando New York, NY, c. 1980 17 in. long

A wall-mounted carving signed on the back with the maker’s “MIRANDO” stamp. Original paint with minimal wear.

422 Seven Powder Tins and a Match Box largest is 7 in. tall

One Boston Sporting Powder, two Oriental Powder Company, Boston, one Hazard Powder Co., one A E & Co, one Oriental Powder Mills, Maine, one Lyman, Fenton & Co. Bennington, VT, one match box from the American EC and Schultze Gunpowder Co. As found.

PROVENANCE: William K. du Pont Collection

320

423

424

425

423 VL&A Duck Call

Charles H. Perdew (1882-1964) Henry, IL, c. 1930 6 in. long

The side of this hand-carved, checkered-teardrop call bears an incised “VL&A.” Formed in early 1891, the Von Lengerke & Antoinne company quickly became a very prominent sporting goods store in Chicago. In good condition with minor wear.

LITERATURE: Ann Tandy Lacy, Perdew: An Illinois Tradition, Muncie, IN, 1993, p. 187, related calls illustrated.

424 Duck Call with Flying Duck Earl Dennison New Bern, TN, 1984 5 1/2 in. long

A duck call with an incised landing-bird motif and the initials “E.D.” Signed and dated stopper.Good condition with light wear and no wedge block.

425 Turkey Brand Coffee Tin

Chicago, IL & Kansas City, MO, c. 1920 10 1/2 in. tall, 5 1/2 in. diameter

A “Turkey Brand” Roasted Coffee tin made by the A.J. Kasper Company. As found.

426

427

426 Flying Woodcock

James Joseph Ahearn (1904-1963) Stamford, CT, c. 1950 7 1/2 in. long

A turned-head flying woodcock with a thirteen-inch-wide wingspan. In original paint with light wear.

PROVENANCE: The Sam and Betty Pierce Collection, acquired from an Ahearn family estate sale Private Collection, New York

427 Owl Decoy

Leonard Doren (1895-1965) Perkin, IL, c. 1945 17 in. tall

Outstanding full-size gunning great horned owl decoy by one of the finest owl decoy carvers of all time. The balsa-bodied bird has glass eyes and deeply recessed facial features.

A closely related example resides in the Thomas K. Figge Collection. Excellent original paint with gunning wear including some chips, dings, and flaking.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York LITERATURE: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, Masterworks of the Illinois River, Boston, MA, 2005, p. 125, related example illustrated.

321

OSCAR W. PETERSON 1887-1951 | CADILLAC, MI

428

429

428 Trout Fish Decoy

429 Walleye Fish Decoy

Peterson’s works are the subject of Ronald J. Fritz’s book, Michigan’s Master Carver: Oscar W. Peterson, 1887-1951, and can be found in the American Art Museum of the Smithsonian, the Brooklyn Museum, and in exhibits across the country. Original paint with light wear.

A black and gold fish with metal fins and a body that curves to the left. Original paint with fishing wear, including some flaking.

Oscar W. Peterson (1887-1951) Cadillac, MI, c. 1940 7 in. long

$1,500 - $2,500

322

Oscar W. Peterson (1887-1951) Cadillac, MI, c. 1930 8 in. long

$1,500 - $2,500

430

432

431

433

430 “The Lek” Sage Grouse

432 Kingfisher, Kestrel, and Blue Jay

This award-winning decorative piece demonstrates the carver’s thorough understanding of grouse anatomy and behavior.

The two male sage grouse are in full display at a lek, the term for an area where sage grouse congregate to perform their annual mating ritual. The males typically choose a sparsely vegetated place where their springtime courtship display can be easily seen by females. The base accurately displays a typical lek setting and it is signed and dated on the underside by the maker. In 1984 this carving took third in the world for decorative miniatures. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

A group of three decorative carvings—a belted kingfisher, a kestrel, and a blue jay—all signed “Peter Micciche,” on the undersides of the circular and octagonal beveled bases. These fragile carvings appear to be in good condition with little wear and are sold as found.

James E. “Jim” Hazeley Lancaster, PA, 1984 7 in. tall

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

431 Five Carvings

Dan Cobb New Jersey, c. 1980 duckling is 7 1/2 in. long

Three miniature carvings—a gull, a bluebill, and a hooded merganser—and two life-size mallard ducklings make up this group of decorative carvings. Cobb was awarded the title “New Jersey Carver of the Year” in 1985. The miniature carvings are signed “Cobb” on the undersides of each. The mallards are both signed “Dan Cobb” on the bottom. These fragile carvings appear to be in good condition with little wear and are sold as found.

Pete Micciche Millville, MD, 1990 blue jay is 14 in. tall

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

433 Four Miniature Pairs

Greg W. Daisey Chincoteague, VA, 1983-1985 merganser hen is 6 3/4 in. long

A miniature waterfowl set of ruddy ducks, Burrow’s goldeneyes, red-breasted mergansers, and hooded mergansers.

Each decorative pair is inscribed on the underside with the maker’s signature, date, and species identification. These fragile carvings appear to be in good condition with little wear and are sold as found.

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection 323

434

436

435

437

434 Screech Owl

436 Standing Wood Duck

A decorative life-size screech owl with raised and incised wings, glass eyes and red-morph paint detail perched on a stump. The underside of the stump base bears the maker’s branded signature and the date “12/82.” This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

A standing decorative wood duck carving exhibiting raised crossed wing tips, highly detailed feather carving, and flamboyant paint detail. Incised “Dan Cobb” with the date on the bottom of the removable base. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

Dan Cobb New Jersey, 1982 10 in. tall

Dan Cobb New Jersey, 1981 12 in. tall

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

437 Swimming Canvasback 435 Goldeneye Hen Dan Cobb New Jersey, c. 1980 13 in. long

324

Dan Cobb New Jersey, c. 1980 17 in. long

This life-size decorative carving exhibits a turned head, raised crossed wing tips, incised feather carving, and meticulous paint detail. Incised “Dan Cobb” on the bottom. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

Cobb was awarded the title “New Jersey Carver of the Year” in 1985. This life-size decorative carving exhibits raised crossed wing tips, incised feather carving, and meticulous paint detail.

Signed “Dan Cobb” on the inlaid bottomboard of this hollow carving. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

PROVENANCE: Michael and Marcia Kane Collection

438

440

439

441 441

438 Hummingbird on Flower

440 Ring-Necked Hen

A competition wood carver, Bua’s works include sea turtles as well as birds. This hummingbird has acutely raised wings, a dropped tail, and incised feather detail. The underside of the elaborate base bears the maker’s inked signature twice. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

A well-executed and hollow full-size decorative with a turned head. The removed keel marking on the bottom board suggests this was one of Miller’s early decorative competition decoys.

Original paint with light wear.

Joseph A. “Tony” Bua Vilas, NC, c. 2000 4 in. long

439 Blue-Winged Teal Pair

John B. Garton (b. 1924) Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada, c. 1970 hen is 16 in. long

Carved by an award-winning Canadian artist, this pair has exquisitely carved secondary, primary, and tail feathers. Original paint with minimal wear.

Clarence Miller (b. 1936) Brockville, Ontario, Canada, c. 1970 12 in. long

PROVENANCE: Grobaker Collection Private Collection

441 Goldfinch on Holly Joseph A. “Tony” Bua Vilas, NC, c. 2000 5 in. long

A turned-head goldfinch with raised wing carving and incised feather detail. The underside of the base bears the maker’s brand. This fragile carving appears to be in good condition with little wear and is sold as found.

325

442

444

443

445

442 Two Mergansers

444 Mallard Pair

A full-size decorative duo, signed and inscribed with the species designation on the bottom. The hen is a hooded merganser and the drake is a red-breasted merganser. Original paint with minimal wear.

An early pair of working decoys for the renowned Canadian contemporary competition carver. The mallards are signed and dated 1955 on the undersides. Original paint with minimal gunning wear.

443 Bluebird Pair

445 Bufflehead Pair

A pair of turned-head bluebirds with raised wing tips, carved feather detail, and the maker’s signature on the undersides of both. These fragile carvings appear to be in good condition with little wear and are sold as found.

This Kerr pair features nicely blended paint by the awardwinning maker. Both are branded with the maker’s “Kerr, Smith Falls, Ontario” signature on the bottom. Original paint with minimal wear.

Clarence Miller (b. 1936) Brockville, Ontario, Canada, c. 1975 15 in. long

John Vulcani LaSalle, IL, 2021 7 1/4 in. long

326

Robert G. Kerr (b. 1935) Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada, 1955 18 in. long

Robert G. Kerr (b. 1935) Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada, c. 1975 11 in. long

ROBERT G. KERR

B. 1935 | SMITH FALLS, ONTARIO, CANADA

446

448

447

446 Sleeping Blue-Winged Teal Pair

447 Green-Winged Teal Pair

Robert G. Kerr (b. 1935) Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada, 1972 and 1988 10 in. long

Robert G. Kerr (b. 1935) Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada, c. 1975 12 in. long

This Kerr sleeper pair features raised wing tips. The drake bears a penciled inscription with the date, “9/88,” and the maker’s signature. The hen is branded with the maker’s “Kerr, Smith Falls, Ontario” signature on the bottom. A photograph of the hen was the front-cover feature of the summer 1972 issue of North American Decoys Magazine. A copy of the magazine is included in the lot. Original paint with minimal wear.

This Kerr pair features carved bill detail. The drake displays the maker’s best painted vermiculated feathering. Both are branded with the maker’s “Kerr, Smith Falls, Ontario” signature on the bottom. Original paint with minimal wear.

LITERATURE: North American Decoys, Summer 1972, front cover, exact decoy illustrated.

448 Cinnamon Teal Pair

Robert G. Kerr (b. 1935) Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada, 1986 12 by 18 by 16 in.

A grand decorative piece constructed from basswood, this cinnamon teal pair displays animated form and exceptional carving and paint detail. The drake features extremely raised wings and a raised foot, while the removable hen is sitting contentedly. The underside of the base bears the maker’s inked signature and date. These fragile carvings appear to be in good condition with little wear and are sold as found.

327

449

451

109

450

449 Pied-Billed Grebe

451 Canvasback Pair

A swimming grebe with intricate carving and paint. The bottom reads: “Pied-Billed Grebe by Harold Haertel. 1968.”

Original paint with light wear.

A pair of turned-head canvasbacks with fine wing delineation, scratch-comb paint, and incised bill detail. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Harold Haertel (1904-1995) Dundee, IL, 1968 8 1/2 in. long

450 Ruddy Duck

Al Glassford (b. 1927) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, 1971 11 in. long

An early, competition-grade carving with incised bill, wing, and tail detail. This bird is inscribed “Made by Al Glassford, April 1971, for ‘Duke Grobaker’” on the bottom. Original paint with minimal wear.

328

452

Andre Broussard Saint Andre La Calle, Québec, Canada, c. 1950 18 in. long

$800 - $1,200

452 Mallard Drake

Ken Harris (1905-1981) Woodville, NY, c. 1950 14 1/2 in. long

A turned-head presentation-grade drake stamped on the bottom “Ken Harris Decoys, Woodville, NY.” This rare model features Harris’s best paint and carving detail. Original paint with light wear.

453

453 Rare Swimming Mallard Drake St. Lawrence River c. 1900 15 1/2 in. long

A hollow mallard drake with both comb and scratch feathering and an upswept tail. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, including age line along left side and minor chipping to knot hole in breast. Some fill to wood loss in bottom board. $2,000 - $4,000 Literature: Jim Stewart and Larry Lunman, DECOYS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS, Erin, Ontario, 1992, p. 158, exact decoy illustrated.

454

454 Redhead

Thomas Chambers (1860-1948) Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada, c. 1915 16 1/4 in. long

A hollow drake with a “J.T. McMillan” brand on the underside. This decoy saw action at the St. Clair Flats Shooting Club, where McMillan was a member from 19131946. Original paint with even gunning wear and age lines in neck. $2,500 - $3,500

455

455 High-Head Redhead Michigan, c. 1950 15 in. long

A redhead with a slightly turned high head and a weighted keel. Original paint and even gunning wear.

329

SAMUEL R. HUTCHINGS

1894-1995 | JONES FALLS, ONTARIO, CANADA

456

456 Cross-Hatched Goldeneye Samuel R. Hutchings (1894-1995) Jones Falls, Ontario, Canada, c. 1919 13 in. long

Very rare goldeneye exhibiting detailed crosshatch-feather carving from head to tail and incised, raised wing tips.

Samuel Hutchings lived to see his one-hundredth year, but will be remembered primarily for his decoys attributed to his teenage years, circa 1908-1914. He was a carving prodigy inspired by his grandfather, a master blacksmith who used similar checkered patterns on his ironwork. Original and old working paint with gunning wear, chipped tail, chews marks to bill.

PROVENANCE: Henry Darling Smith Rig, Chaffey’s Falls, Ontario LITERATURE: Bernie Gates, Ontario Decoys, Kingston, ON, 1982, p.

148, closely related examples illustrated.

$4,000 - $6,000

330

457

457 Blue-Winged Teal

Otto Weinert (1893-1979) Oshkosh, WI, c. 1930 11 in. long

A glass-eyed decoy with incised bill detail and extensive painted feathering. Teal from this gunning rig are dispersed among some of the top decoy collections in the country.

Birds from this playful rig are unique in their design not only for Wisconsin decoys, but for any other region as well. Original paint with light gunning wear.

LITERATURE: Donna Tonelli, Fish and Fowl Decoys of the Great Lakes, Atglen, PA, 2002, p. 227, similar decoy illustrated.

Ron Koch, Decoys of the Winnebago Lakes, Omro, WI, 1988, p. 165, similar decoy illustrated.

$3,500 - $4,500

458 Mallard Pair

458

Ora Clough Ladysmith, WI, c. 1935 16 1/2 in. long

A pair of classic mallards with glass eyes and upswept tails. Original paint with even gunning wear. $1,000 - $2,000

459

459 Canvasback Drake Marshall Williams Oshkosh, WI, c. 1940 17 in. long

A fine high-head canvasback by this Wisconsin maker. Solid-bodied with glass eyes and an incised “SW” or “MS” on the underside. Strong early working paint with even gunning wear.

331

FRANK RESOP 1894-1968 | BERLIN, WI

460

460 Bluebill Pair

Frank Resop (1894-1968) Berlin, WI, c. 1940 14 in. long

461

Raised in Berlin, Wisconsin, Resop grew up near some of the finest waterfowl hunting areas of the Midwest. Lake Poygan in Waushara County was known for huge migrations of canvasbacks and bluebills. At age sixteen, Frank began carving decoys for himself and his hunting mates. A fine woodworker, he also made boat paddles, duck skiffs, sink boats, and marsh skis.

This bluebill pair exhibits carved bill detail, glass eyes, and fine craquelure. They represent one of the maker’s best bluebill pairs known to exist. Original paint with light gunning wear. $3,500 - $4,500

461 Blue-Winged Teal Drake Frank Resop (1894-1968) Berlin, WI, c. 1920 13 1/2 in. long

This decoy exhibits fine bill detail, incised wing tips, and an upswept tail. It was featured in the 2008 Decoy Magazine article about the maker. A folky and hard-to-find species by the maker. Original paint with even gunning wear and darkened tail chip.

332

LITERATURE: Decoy Magazine, November/December 2008, p. 40, exact decoy illustrated.

Donna Tonelli, Fish and Fowl Decoys of the Great Lakes, Atglen, PA, 2002, p. 219, top left, rigmate illustrated.

$3,500 - $4,500

462

464

463

465

462 Rare Miniature Goldeneye Decoy

464 Premier-Grade Canvasback

A rare and early miniature decoy with carved wing detail. The underside retains a faint pencil inscription and partial date.

Original paint with light wear, including some flaking along bottom edge and a darkened chip under bill.

A hollow carving with incised bill detail and glass eyes.

Original paint with even gunning wear, faint age line on left side of head.

c. 1935 3 1/4 in. long

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 16 in. long

$1,200 - $1,800

463 Canvasback Drake

August “Gus” Moak (1852-1942) Tustin, WI, c. 1920 17 in. long

This well-constructed hollow decoy has a slightly chamfered bottom board, a humped back, and a thin neck. Original paint with some white removed and touch-up on black.

LITERATURE: Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 226, similar decoy illustrated.

465 Black Duck

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1910 16 3/4 in. long

A challenge-grade decoy with strong swirl paint. Original paint with one-inch tail chip, crack along bottom, faint age line along back, and even wear. $800 - $1,200

333

MASON DECOY FACTORY 1896-1924 | DETROIT, MI

466

468

467

469

466 Standard-Grade Blue-Winged Teal Drake

468 Standard-Grade Goldeneye Drake

A glass-eyed drake. Original paint with gunning wear, some flaking, and some darkening on back.

As found.

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1915 12 1/4 in. long

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1915 13 3/4 in. long

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

469 Canvasback Hen 467 Challenge-Grade Black Duck Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1915 16 in. long

The underside has the factory “CHALLENGE” ink stamp.

Mostly original paint with light wear, some age lines, and some touch-up and restoration, including to tail chip and crack along right side.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

334

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1920 16 in. long

A hen with a “RV Jr” brand and inset circular weight on the underside. Original paint with moderate gunning wear, a few tight age lines, glue fill to crack in bottom. Some restoration to bill tip.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

470

472

471

473

470 Standard-Grade Canvasback Pair

472 Canvasback Pair

The drake bears a Mackey Collection stamp, a “HILKE” brand, and a “N. WOLF” brand on the underside. As found.

The drake bears a “Bill Dahlka” brand, a “HY Dahlka” brand, and a “Fred Wall” brand. As found.

PROVENANCE: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection (drake) Len Carnaghi Collection

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

Mason Decoy Factory (1896-1924) Detroit, MI, c. 1915 15 1/2 in. long

471 Two Bluebills

William “Bill” Dahlka (1894-1960) Detroit, MI, c. 1920 17 in. long

473 Canvasback Hen

Detroit, MI 14 in. long

Christie Brothers Detroit, MI, c. 1920 18 in. long

A duo of glass-eyed bluebill drakes, one by the Peterson Factory and the other by the Mason Factory. As found.

Original paint with even gunning wear, an age line along the back and right side and a crack in bill.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

335

474

477

475

478

476

476 Mallard Pair

Joseph Shimon (1916-1989) Detroit, MI, c. 1950 17 in. long

This pair has strong feather carving in the Detroit style.

Original paint with minimal gunning wear.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

474 Canvasback Drake Ralph Reghi (1910-1995) Detroit, MI, c. 1940 16 1/4 in. long

477 Canvasback Drake

The underside of this carving bears a “HJD” brand, the maker’s inked signature, and the following inked note: “Nick Purdo used as anchor decoy for his sneak boat.” Purdo was a fellow carver and Len Carnaghi’s hunting partner. Appears to be original paint with even gunning wear and a replaced bill.

This carving bears a painted “DH” on the underside. As found.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

475 Canvasback Hen Ed Murphy Monroe, MI, c. 1930 14 in. long

This decoy, with incised bill and wing tip detail, bears a “ETM” brand on the underside. This hen was carved in Monroe, Michigan, where famed maker Edward “One-Arm” Kellie (1883-1955) had a workshop. As found.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

336

LITERATURE: Len Carnaghi, “Joseph Shimon: Another Ben Schmidt protege emerges,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2020, p. 38, similar pair illustrated.

Dave Herbert Mount Clemens, MI, c. 1950 16 in. long

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

478 Mallard Pair

Frank Schmidt Centerline, MI, c. 1940 18 1/2 in. long

The hen has a painted “LM” rig marking. Both carvings have incised feather detail. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Very minor spot touch-up to flaking in hen’s left speculum and working touch-up to tail and bill. Minor traces of overpaint on drake’s bill.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

479

481

480

482

479 Bluebill Hen

Capt. John C. Schweikart (1870-1954) Detroit and Strawberry Island, MI, c. 1920 16 in. long

A hollow diver from this renowned Michigan maker. As found in early gunning paint.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

480 Hollow Canvasback Pair Christopher C. Smith (1861-1938) Algonac, MI, c. 1910 16 in. long

A pair of hollow St. Clair Flats decoys with glass eyes and bottom-board construction. The hen has a turned head.

In addition to carving decoys, Chris Smith is widely known for his boat building skills. As market gunners, Chris and his older brother, Henry, made the decoys and boats out of necessity.

The maker would go on to found a company named Chris Craft, which produced the Miss America boats that dominated races held on the Detroit River, along with a myriad of other prominent yacht designs.

Chris and his brother often sourced their wood for decoys from boats that were passing Algonac. According to local lore, ships’ captains would throw logs overboard for the brothers. Based on his hunting experience of trying to load many decoys in a small boat, he carved hollow decoys which were well-suited to

that purpose. Smith’s works represent the primary species that were hunted in his home waters: black ducks, scaup, canvasbacks, pintails, redheads, and whistlers. As found.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection LITERATURE: Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys: A North American Survey, Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 187.

481 Mallard Drake

Nathaniel “Nate” Quillen (1839-1908) Rockwood, MI, c. 1880 14 1/2 in. long

The thin bottom board is branded “WLB.” Mix of original and taken-down paint, head is a modern replacement.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection LITERATURE: Bernard Crandall, “Nate Quillen Decoys,” North American Decoys, Spring 1972, front cover and pp. 2-11, related decoys illustrated.

482 Diving Duck

St. Clair Flats, MI, c. 1900 14 in. long

As found in old working paint.

PROVENANCE: Len Carnaghi Collection

337

LAWRENCE C. IRVINE 1918-1998 | WINTHROP, ME

483

484

483 Land-Locked Salmon

Lawrence C. Irvine (1918-1998) Winthrop, ME, c. 1955 plaque is 24 in. long

338

484 Lake Trout

Lawrence C. Irvine (1918-1998) Winthrop, ME, c. 1960 plaque is 28 in. long

An eighteen-inch-long salmon carving on a painted faux-birch, beveled-edge plaque. The back of the plaque bears the carver’s signature.

A twenty-three-inch-long lake trout carving on a beveled-edge birch plaque. The back of the plaque bears the carver’s signature.

$1,000 - $2,000

$2,000 - $3,000

485

485 Lake Trout

Lawrence C. Irvine (1918-1998) Winthrop, ME, c. 1960 plaque is 28 in. long

A twenty-four-inch-long lake trout carving on a beveled-edge, naturally stained plaque. The back of the plaque bears the carver’s signature. $2,000 - $3,000

486

486 Brook Trout

Mike Borrett (b. 1960) Madison, WI, c. 2010 20 in. long

This full-bodied wall-hanging fish exhibits the maker’s scratch-comb paint along the entire surface. Incised “BORRETT” on the back side.

487

487 Trout

Mike Borrett (b. 1960) Madison, WI, c. 2010 plaque is 19 in. long

A twenty-inch-long brook trout carving on a wooden beveled-edge plaque. The back of the plaque bears the carver’s signature.

339

FRANCIS GOLDEN 1916-2008

488 Francis Golden (1916-2008)

488

Bonefishing signed “Francis Golden” lower right watercolor, 21 by 29 in.

489

489 Francis Golden (1916-2008) Looking for that Shimmering Salmon signed “Francis Golden” lower left watercolor, 21 by 29 in.

490

340

490 Francis Golden (1916-2008) Opening Day signed “Francis Golden” lower right watercolor, 20 by 28 1/2 in.

491 Churchill Ettinger (1903-1984) Stratton, Vermont Skiing signed “Churchill Ettinger” lower right watercolor, 14 by 21 in.

491

$1,500 - $2,500

492

492 John A. Ruthven (b. 1924)

Cardinals and Wren signed “John A. Ruthven ©” lower right watercolor, 15 3/4 by 11 3/4 in. titled on Colorado Historical Society and Denver Rotary Club labels on back PROVENANCE: John Hendry Collection Private Collection, Texas EXHIBITED: Denver, Colorado, Artists of America, Colorado Heri-

tage Center Museum, September 1985.

493 Ann Peterson (20th Century)

Roney Plaza, Duxbury, MA, 1950 signed and dated “Ann Peterson ‘50” lower right watercolor, 13 by 18 3/4 in. inscribed “Roney Plaza Duxbury, MA Located at ‘Hammer Island’ -Duxbury North Marsh Camp built originally by G. Gorham Peters around 1911 then deeded to Peter’s caretaker Robert D. Webster who gunned the stand until...he drowned retrieving a duck. In 1946 John E. Andresen and Colin M. Cunningham obtained the right to maintain and gun the stand from Peter’s wife Minnie H. Webster. And Feb 4th ‘69 Andresen and Cunningham purchased and took title (deeded) gunning the stand until it burned down...” on back

493

341

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 1785-1851

494

342

494 John James Audubon (1785-1851)

Iceland, or Jer Falcon, 1837 (No. 74, PIate CCCLXVI) hand-colored engraving, 35 3/8 by 23 in. (sheet) on J. Whatman 1837 watermarked paper

495

495

According to the family, Frank W. Benson acquired this arresting Audubon print of Falco Islandicus “as a true splurge as soon as he had enough money to do so.” His granddaughter recalled, “He gave it to Mother as a very special and valuable gift.” Although he trimmed the margins finding them “a distraction,” Benson’s family has enjoyed this Havell-edition work for generations. It has never left the family walls.

Purchasing the Audubon print was significant for Benson, since “As a child he had been fascinated by birds and had decided at an early age that he wanted to be an ornithological illustrator.

He haunted the halls of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard and pored through the thick volumes in its library.

He admired the work of Audubon, hoping to follow in his footsteps.”

Audubon first sketched this species on an expedition in Labrador in early August 1833, reporting, “I made my drawing of them the day after their death. It was one of the severest tasks which I ever performed, and was done under the most disagreeable circumstances. I sat up nearly the whole of the night, to sketch them in outline. The next day it rained for hours, and the water fell on my paper and colours all the while from the rigging” of the boat.

The noted ornithologist and artist also drew from a specimen in London in 1837. He notes, “Their flight resembled that of the Peregrine Falcon, but was more elevated, majestic, and rapid.

They rarely sailed when travelling to and fro, but used a constant beat of their wings. When over the Puffins, and high in the air, they would hover almost motionless, as if watching the proper moment to close their pinions, and when that arrived, they would descend almost perpendicularly on their unsuspecting victims.”

PROVENANCE: Frank W. Benson Collection Private Collection, Virginia, by descent in the family LITERATURE: Faith Andrews Bedford, The Sporting Art of Frank W.

Benson, Boston, MA, 2000, pp. 17-19.

John James Audubon, Iceland, or Jer Falcon, Audubon Society, accessed 13 December 2021, https://www.audubon.org/ birds-of-america/iceland-or-jer-falcon.

John James Audubon, Birds of America, From Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories, London, England, 1826-1838. $10,000 - $15,000

496.1

496.2

495 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Resting Grouse in Pine signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right watercolor, 7 1/2 by 5 1/4 in.

496 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Two Etchings

Book Plate of Ruffed Grouse Ex Libris Bremer W. Pond estate stamped on back 5 by 4 in.

Grouse Shooting 9 by 11 3/4 in.

343

497 Joseph Day Knap (1875-1962) Winter Geese signed “J D Knap” lower right watercolor, 14 1/2 by 21 1/4 in.

497

498.2

498.1

498 Al Barker (b. 1941)

Two Watercolors each signed “Al Barker ©” lower right

499.1

Winter Glow, 1997 4 1/4 by 5 1/4 in.

Near Crabbing Bridge, 1985 5 by 9 3/4 in.

499 Al Barker (b. 1941) Wing Study, 1987

Two Canada geese drawings each pencil and watercolor, 3 3/4 by 6 1/2 in. signed “Al Barker ©” lower right signed “Al Barker ©” lower left each titled on back

344

499.2

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

500

500 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

The Bridge, 1923 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 13 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #227, edition of 150

501 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Supper, 1920 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 7/8 by 4 7/8 in.

Paff #182, edition of 150

502

501

502 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

The Punter, 1927 signed “Frank W. Benson.” lower right etching, 7 7/8 by 11 7/8 in.

Paff #273, edition of 150 M. Knoedler & Co., New York label on back

345

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

503

504

506

503 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

505 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

504 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

506 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Man with a Gaff, 1925 signed “Frank W. Benson.” lower left drypoint, 11 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #247, edition of 150

Casting for Salmon, 1929 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 7 3/4 by 10 in.

Paff #288, edition of 150

346

505

The Guide, 1920 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left drypoint, 6 7/8 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #185, edition of 150

Black Breast Plover, 1915 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 6 3/4 by 10 3/4 in.

Paff #71, edition 14 of 50

FRANK W. BENSON 1862-1951

507

508

507 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951)

Three Geese, 1918 signed “Frank W. Benson.” lower left drypoint, 8 1/4 by 14 3/4 in.

Paff #135, edition 91 of 150 Kennedy & Co., New York label on back

508 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Morning Flight, 1918 signed “Frank W. Benson.” lower left etching, 7 7/8 by 9 7/8 in.

Paff #152, edition 5 of 150 numbered “5” lower right

509 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Grouse on a Pine Bough, 1920 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left drypoint, 3 by 2 in.

Paff #176, edition of 150

509

511

512

510

510 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) On Swift Wings, 1925 signed “Frank W. Benson” lower left etching, 11 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

Paff #264, edition of 150

511 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Incoming Geese, 1917 signed “Frank W Benson” lower left etching, 4 by 6 in.

Paff #114, edition 79 of 136 numbered “79” lower right

512 Frank W. Benson (1862-1951) Over Sunk Marsh, 1920 signed “Frank W. Benson.” lower left drypoint, 5 3/4 by 7 3/4 in.

Paff #188, edition of 150

347

513

516

514.1

515

513 Roland H. Clark (1874-1957)

Three Etchings each signed “Roland Clark” lower right Canada Geese Flying 11 3/4 by 14 3/4 in.

The Last Round (not illustrated) 20 1/4 by 16 1/4 in.

A Misty Morning (not illustrated) 15 by 17 1/4 in.

514.2

517.1

Across the Valley, Ruffed Grouse 10 3/4 by 9 in. titled on Harlow, McDonald & Co. label on back Covered Bridge Construction (not illustrated) 8 by 11 in.

Woodcock Landing (not illustrated) 9 3/4 by 7 in.

516 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975) Four Etchings

514 William J. Schaldach (1896-1982) Two Etchings each signed “W.J. Schaldach” lower right each 5 1/4 by 6 1/4 in. each numbered lower left

Bob and Madame White (Male and Female Quail Heads) edition 27 of 50 Portrait of a Gentleman (Grouse) edition 17 of 50

515 William J. Schaldach (1896-1982) Three Etchings each signed “W J Schaldach” lower right 348

Alone, Christmas Card, 1967 5 3/4 by 4 in.

Driven Grouse Christmas Card (not illustrated) 5 7/8 by 3 7/8 in.

Bookplate of Man Dreaming of Ducks Coming In, c. 1925 (not illustrated) R. Brannan Reath II 4 1/2 by 3 in.

Flying Snow Geese Christmas Card (not illustrated) 4 by 5 7/8 in. (not illustrated)

517.2

517 Five Derrydale Press Prints Roland H. Clark (1874-1957)

Mallards Rising, 1942 signed “Roland Clark” lower right hand-colored engraving, 17 by 20 in. edition 165 of 250 The Alarm - Black Duck, 1937 (not illustrated) signed “Roland Clark” lower right hand-colored engraving, 18 1/2 by 14 3/4 in. edition 193 of 250 Dropping In - Canada Goose, 1941 (not illustrated) signed “Roland Clark” lower right hand-colored engraving, 22 by 17 1/2 in. edition 34 of 250 Edgar Burke (1889-1950) Canada Geese, 1941 signed “Edgar Burke” lower right hand-colored engraving, 20 3/4 by 16 1/2 in. inscribed “250/ artist’s proof” lower left William J. Schaldach (1896-1982) (not illustrated) American Game Birds - Woodcock, 1931 signed “Wm J. Schaldach” lower left hand-colored etching, 11 1/4 by 8 in.

518

520

519

521

522

523

518 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

521 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

519 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

LITERATURE: Peter Bergh, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, Boston, MA, 1984, pp. 107, 109, illustrated.

The River Blind, 1944 signed “Ogden M. Pleissner” lower right drypoint, 9 3/4 by 14 3/4 in. edition of 60

Driven Grouse, Glancie Beat, 1959 signed “Ogden M. Pleissner N.A.” lower right color print, 15 by 23 3/4 in. published by Frost and Reed Ltd, Bristol and London in an edition of 300

520 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983) Two Prints and a Deluxe Book

The Run Downstream, 1981 signed “Ogden M. Pleissner” lower right color print, 19 3/4 by 28 1/2 in. published and copyrighted by the Anglers’ Club of New York in an edition of 300 Big Fish Rise, 1984 (not illustrated) color print, 24 by 34 in. published by David R. Godine Publishers, Inc., Boston, MA edition #145 of 400 Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT impressed stamp along with slip-covered book, The Art of Ogden M. Pleissner, by Peter Bergh, deluxe edition #145 of 400

Woodcock Cover, 1977 signed “Ogden M. Pleissner” lower right color print, 15 by 24 in. published and copyrighted by the Crossroads of Sport, New York, NY, in an edition of 270

522 Ogden M. Pleissner (1905-1983)

Dry Fly Fishing for Salmon, 1982 signed “Ogden M Pleissner” lower right color print, 16 by 25 1/2 in. framed with 5 flies published privately in 1982 for Theodore Gordon Flyfishers in limited edition of 300 prints

523 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Two Color Prints

End of the Grouse Season, 1966 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right 18 3/4 by 28 1/2 in. published and copyrighted in 1966 by Frost & Reed and the Sportsman’s Gallery Woodcock Cover, 1963 (not illustrated) signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right 19 1/4 by 28 1/2 in. published and copyrighted in 1963 by Frost & Reed and the Sportsman’s Gallery

349

524.1

525

526

524 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975) Two Bird Maps each color print, 29 3/4 by 25 1/2 in. each edition 121 of 1000

Map of the Surface Feeding Ducks, Swans and Geese of North America, 1937 Map of the Diving Ducks, Eiders, and Mergansers of North America, 1937

525 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975) His First Goose, 1928 signed “R E Bishop” lower right etching, 11 by 9 3/4 in. titled lower left

526 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975) Black Ducks, 1933 signed “Richard E Bishop” lower right etching, 11 by 14 3/4 in. titled lower left

350

527

524.2

528

527 Richard E. Bishop (1887-1975)

A Map of Well Known Salt Water Game Fish of North America, 1935 signed “Richard E Bishop” and “Joseph P. Sims” lower center color print, 25 by 33 1/4 in. edition 298 of 1000

528 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) After Woodcock, 1965 signed “A Lassell Ripley” lower right drypoint, 11 1/4 by 9 1/4 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection, acquired directly from

the artist

529

532

530

533

531

534

529 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Hunting for Pheasants, 1965 signed “A.Lassell Ripley” lower right etching, 8 7/8 by 13 3/4 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection, acquired directly from the

532 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Grouse Shooting, 1965 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right drypoint, 9 by 11 3/4 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection, acquired directly from the

artist.

artist.

530 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969)

533 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969)

Bluebills, 1965 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right etching, 8 3/4 by 13 1/2 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection

531 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) Goose Shooting, 1965 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right drypoint, 8 3/4 by 14 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection, acquired directly from the

artist.

Retrieving, 1965 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right etching, 8 3/4 by 13 3/4 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection, acquired directly from the

artist.

534 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) The Duck Blind, 1965 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right drypoint, 9 7/8 by 13 7/8 in. titled lower left

PROVENANCE: Lewis Horton Collection, acquired directly from the

artist.

351

535

536

540

538

537

535 Roland H. Clark (1874-1957) 7 AM signed “Roland Clark” lower right drypoint, 6 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

536 Roland H. Clark (1874-1957) Inbound, 1925 signed “Roland Clark” lower right drypoint, 11 3/4 by 8 3/4 in. edition of 75

537 Walter A. Weber (1906-1979) Leaping Bass signed “Weber” lower left pen and ink, 7 1/2 by 10 in.

A copy of Bass Bug Fishing and Bermuda Fishing by Joe Brooks accompanies the drawing.

538 Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954)

Three Etchings of Scotties each signed “Marguerite Kirmse” lower right each titled lower left

352

541

539

542

So Bad, 1928 (not illustrated) 7 3/4 by 5 1/4 in.

541 Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954)

Over the Top, 1928 (not illustrated) 5 by 7 1/2 in.

Let’s Go signed “Marguerite Kirmse” lower right etching, 9 1/4 by 6 1/4 in. titled lower left The Sporting Gallery and Bookshop, Inc., New York label on back

Gaen Awa, 1928 6 3/4 by 9 3/4 in.

539 William Goadby Lawrence (19132002) Silver King signed “Wm Goadby Lawrence” lower right lithograph, 9 by 12 in. titled lower left

540 Eugene V. Connett (1891-1969)

Woodcock Head signed and dated “Eugene V Connett” lower right etching, 6 by 8 in. numbered “1/15” lower center

Eugene V. Connett III ran the famous Derrydale Press during sporting art’s golden age.

Etching and Book

Dogs in the Field, edition 270 of 685, New York: The Derrydale Press, 1935. Includes original etching opposite title page, signed lower right, 24 lithographed pages of dogs and hunting scenes, many pages labeled with the dog breed. With 5 loose lithographs, 10 by 14 in.

542 Maynard Reece (1920-2020)

White-Winged Scoters, 1969 signed “Maynard Reece” lower right lithograph, 7 1/4 by 9 3/4 in. inscribed “546/750 Duck Stamp Design 1969 1st ed.” lower left edition 546 of 750, framed with stamp

543

545

544.1

544.2

543 Percival Rosseau (1859-1937)

Ned & Bob - Setters, 1925 signed “Percival Rosseau” lower right chromolithograph, 13 1/2 by 21 3/4 in. remarked lower left, published and copyrighted in 1925 by Arthur Ackermann & Son, Inc., New York, New York

This print depicts Ned and Bob, two setters seen in “Perfection” and owned by industrialist and sportsman Samuel G. Allen.

Ned, a black and white setter, was featured in a 1920 Country Life article about shooting bobwhite quail in North Carolina by James Boyd.

LITERATURE: James Boyd, “Bird-Shooting With A Camera,” Country Life, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 5, September 1920.

544 Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928) Two Du Pont Prints of Setters each lithograph, 16 by 22 1/4 in.

Tony’s Gale signed “Edm. H. Osthaus” in plate lower right titled “Tony’s Gale By Antonio - Nellie G. 1898” lower left Lad’ys Count Drystone signed “Edm. H. Osthaus” in plate lower left titled “Lad’ys Count Drystone by Count Drystone IV. - Dan’s Lady 1900” lower right published and copyrighted in 1907 by E.I. Du Pont de Nemours of Nemours Powder Co.

545 Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928)

546

547

546 Four Sporting Prints Peter Corbin (b. 1945) The Cornrow Blind, 1990 signed “Peter Corbin” lower right color print, 15 3/4 by 26 in. edition 208 of 250 Roland Clark (1874-1957) Duck Stamp Design, 1938 and stamp (not illustrated) signed “Roland Clark” lower right drypoint, 9 by 12 in. titled and dated lower left framed with 1939 Federal Duck Stamp Churchill Ettinger (1903-1984) In the Old Apple Tree (not illustrated) signed “Churchill Ettinger” lower right etching, 7 3/4 by 8 3/4 in. titled lower left, edition of 100 after Alexander Pope, Jr. (1849-1924) Cover Sheet for Upland Game Birds and Waterfowl of the United States, 1878 (not illustrated) lithograph, 18 by 24 1/2 in. published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York

547 Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969)

Woodcock Cover, 1963 signed “A. Lassell Ripley” lower right color print, 18 3/4 by 27 3/4 in. published and copyrighted by Frost & Reed and the Sportsman’s Gallery embossed stamp lower left

English Setters signed lower left in plate sepia print, 17 1/4 by 29 1/4 in.

353

548

548

548 Frederick Prescott (b. 1949)

Running with the Bulls, Wall Street, 1990 signed and dated “Prescott 90” on base kinetic art, 30 by 22 1/4 by 8 in. edition 42 of 175 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, New York

549

549 Oversize Willet Tom Langdon (attr.) c. 1990 20 in. long

A large contemporary willet carving with metal patches and a nut-lined stick hole.

Original paint with wear.

550 Standing Mallard Drake c. 1975 16 in. long

A stick-up mallard drake with snakey-neck form. This may be the early work of Anthony Murray (1941-2005). Original paint with even wear, and some cracks and age lines.

PROVENANCE: Lew Horton Collection

354

550

551

552

553

555

551 Tin Shorebird Trio Stratier & Sohier Boston, MA, c. 1875 yellowlegs is 11 in. long

A folding tin trio consisting of a pair of yellowlegs and a plover. As found.

554

556

554 Herbert L. Stoddard, The Bobwhite Quail Herbert L. Stoddard, The Bobwhite Quail: Its Habits, Preservation and Increase, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1931.

William Kemble du Pont bookplate inside cover.

555 Five Frank Benson Paff Books all are missing the original etching

552 7 Weight Fly Rod Thomas and Thomas

A two-piece rod with sleeve and tube. Marked “HS 967 9 1/2’ #7.” Light wear from use.

553 Two Frank Benson Paff Books Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson Volume Two, 190/275, 1919. Frontispiece is an original signed etching by Frank W. Benson, Two Geese.

Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson Volume Three, 240/525, 1923. Frontispiece is an original signed etching by Frank W. Benson, On Set Wings.

Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson, ed. 22/275, 1917.

Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson, Volume Two, ed. 254/275, 1919.

Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson, Volume Three, ed. 492/525, 1923.

Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson, Volume Four, ed. 483/600, 1929.

Adam E. M. Paff, Etchings and Drypoints by Frank W. Benson, Volume Five, ed. 23/400, 1959.

556 25 Hunting & Fishing Collectibles Magazines magazine dates range from 2008 through 2019

355

INDEX

BY LOT

Abbett, Robert Kennedy: 87, 88 Adamson, Harry Curieux: 30 Ahearn, James Joseph: 426 Allen, Fred: 365 Audubon, John James: 494 Bachman, Captain Edwin: 336 Barkalow, Bradford: 108 Barkalow, Capt. J. Lewis: 121 Barker, Al: 498, 499 Benson, Frank W.: 86, 500-512 Bibber, Orlando “Os”: 136, 318, 324 Birch, Charles: 250 Bishop, Richard E: 32, 33, 516, 524-527 Blair Sr, John: 124, 196 Bolles, Reginald F: 79 Borrett, Mike: 486, 487 Boyd, George: 161 Brooks, John: 137 Broussard, Andre: 451 Browne, George: 29 Bua, “Tony” Joseph A.: 438, 441 Carlson, Ken: 258, 259 Chambers, Thomas: 454 Christie Brothers: 473 Clark, Roland H: 513, 535, 536 Clough, Ora: 458 Cobb, Dan: 431, 434-437 Connett, Eugene V.: 540 Corbin, Peter: 201, 205, 206 Corwin, Wilbur R.: 166 Crandall, Horace “Hie” L.: 293, 294 Cranmer, William H.: 127-129 Crowell, A. Elmer: 1-26, 130, 131, 198, 287-290, 297-299, 329-333, 328 Dahlka, William “Bill”: 472 Daisey, Greg W.: 433 Daly, Thomas Aquinas: 90-92 Dando, Aubrey J.: 414-416 de Groot, Ewoud: 27, 28 Dennison, Earl: 424 Dilley, John: 314, 315 Dodge Factory: 170 Doren, Leonard: 427 Dudley, Lee: 253 Eagle, Joan: 408 Ede, Basil: 217, 218 Eldridge, Captain: 347 Elliston, Robert: 191 English, John: 197 Ettinger, Churchill: 491 Ferreira, Jake: 183 Finney, Frank S.: 61-71, 267-280 Fitchett, Alma: 255 Frazier, Luke: 261-264 Garton, John B.: 439 356

Gaskill, George: 125 Gelston, Thomas H.: 311 Gibbs, Harold N.: 282 Gibian, William: 235-239 Gilley, Wendell: 49, 51-53, 281 Glassford, Al: 450 Glenn, John: 228, 229 Golden, Francis: 488-490 Graves, G. Bert: 194, 195, 363 Green, Roland: 393 Gruppe, Emile A.: 256 Haertel, Harold: 449 Hagerbaumer, David A.: 390-392, 400 Hanel, George: 215 Hardenbergh, Gerard R.: 84 Harris, Ken: 452 Harris, William A. “Bill”: 122 Hatch Rig: 162 Hazeley, “Jim” James E.: 430 Hepron, Capt. Jess (attr.): 305 Herbert, Dave: 477 Hill, John Henry: 395 Hodges, David: 211, 212 Holmes, Benjamin: 335 Horner, Nathan Rowley: 300, 368 Hottinger, William A.: 396 Hotze, Hiram “Hy”: 190 Huey, George R.: 325 Hunt, Lynn Bogue: 31 Hutchings, Samuel R.: 456 Irvine, Lawrence C: 483-485 Janson, Richard “Fresh Air Dick”: 179-181 Jeppsen, Julie: 93 Johnson, Lloyd: 99 Kerr, Robert G.: 444-448 Ketchum, Captain Al: 165 King, Allen J.: 34-47, 409 King, Joe: 374 Kirmse, Marguerite: 538, 541 Knap, Joseph Day: 497 Koelpin Sr., William J.: 203, 399 Kuhn, Bob: 260 Lane, Brink (attr.): 366 Langdon, Tom (attr.): 549 Lapham, James: 50, 285, 286 Larrabee, W F: 145 Lawrence, William Goadby: 539 Lawson, Oliver “Tuts”: 231, 232 Leeds, Daniel Lake: 126 Leslie, Rob: 387 Lincoln, Joseph W: 139-142 Loge, Daniel: 388 Maass, David A.: 72 Madara, Clark C.: 199, 301, 302, 369 Marr, Joe: 367

Marshall, Thomas C.: 334 Martin, Pierre J.: 257 Mason Decoy Factory: 167-169, 171-178, 464-470 Matia, Walter T.: 78 McIntyre, Cameron T.: 233, 234 McNair, Mark S.: 54-60, 240-249 McPhail, Rodger: 213, 214 Melton, Charles James: 453 Micciche, Pete: 432 Miller, Clarence: 440, 442 Mirando, Gus: 421 Moak, August “Gus”: 463 Moigniez, Jules: 401 Morse, Robert: 48 Mueller, Keith: 337-342 Murphy, Ed: 475 Murray, Anthony G.: 379, 380 Osthaus, Edmund Henry: 81, 82, 544, 545 Paff, Adam E. M.: 553, 555 Penn, George “Watts”: 304 Perdew, Charles H.: 185, 192, 193, 423 Peterson, Ann: 493 Peterson, Oscar W.: 428, 429 Pice, Charles: 182 Pleissner, Ogden M.: 73-77, 402, 403, 518-522 Prescott, Frederick: 548 Quillen, Nathaniel “Nate”: 481 Reece, Maynard: 542 Reeves: 418, 419 Reghi, Ralph: 474 Reinbold, George W.: 283 Reinbold, William H.: 291, 292 Reneson, Chet: 208-210, 381-386 Resop, Frank: 460, 461 Rickman, Philip: 394 Ripley, Aiden Lassell: 85, 89, 404, 495, 496, 523, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 547 Ross, Willie: 133 Rosseau, Percival: 83, 543 Rungius, Carl: 216 Ruppel, Walter J.: 186-189 Ruthven, John A.: 492 Safford, Charles A.: 327 Schaldach, William J.: 514, 515 Schmidt, Frank: 478 Schmiedlin, Jim: 420 Scholz, Floyd: 265, 266 Schweikart, Capt. John C.: 479 Scott, Peter Markham: 397 Shimon, Joseph: 476 Shourds, Harry M.: 116, 117 Shourds, Harry V.: 100-107, 112-115, 118, 119 Sieger, Joseph: 132 Simmons Family: 320 Singer, Arthur B.: 219-221

Smith, Brett James: 202, 204 Smith, Christopher C.: 480 Smith, Lorne: 296 Smith, Walter Granville (attr.): 398 Southard, William H.: 310, 316 Stoddard, Herbert L.: 554 Stratier & Sohier: 551 Strey, Frank: 359 Susinno, Mark A.: 207 Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam: 80 Thomas and Thomas: 552 Thomas, Charles W.: 157, 344 Trinosky Rig: 95 Truex, Levi Rhodes: 372 Turner, Charles W.: 123, 303 Tuttle, Henry Emerson: 411 Verity, John Henry (attr.): 377 Verity, Obediah: 164, 309, 312 Vulcani, John: 443 Wallace, Dr. Gilbert E.: 307 Ward Brothers: 222-227, 230 Weber, Walter A.: 537 Weeks, Robert: 295 Weiler, Milton C.: 94 Weinert, Otto: 457 Wheaton, Amos: 111 Wheeler, Charles “Shang”: 97, 98 White, Robert “Bob”: 378 Whittington, Hector “Heck”: 200 Williams, Marshall: 459 Wilson, Augustus “Gus” Aaron: 321, 323 Young, Paco: 389

Lot 297

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE 1 Your bidding on items indicates your acceptance of the following Terms and Conditions of Sale by Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. These terms are subject to amendment before or during the sale. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC operates as an agent of the seller only, and is not responsible in any way in the event the seller or buyer fails to fulfill their respective agreements. In all instances the auctioneer’s interpretation of these conditions is final and binding on all bidders.

2 All bids are per lot as numbered in the catalog unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer. The sales price shall consist of the final bid price plus the buyer’s premium, plus any applicable sales tax. A buyer’s premium of 20% (23% for online bidding) of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price.

3 The auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid that, in his opinion, is not commensurate with the value of the lot.

4 The auctioneer has the sole right to re-offer a lot and/or settle disputed bids. The record of sale kept by the auction house will be taken as final in the event of dispute. Additionally, items may be withdrawn at any time prior to the offering of each lot.

5 Except with respect to the guarantee for decoys as set forth below in paragraph 6, all goods are sold “as is” and all sales are final with no exchanges or refunds. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC and its consignors make no representations or warranties as to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, the correctness of the catalog or other description of physical condition, quality, size, medium, importance, rarity, provenance or historical relevance of any property, and no statement made at the sale, or in the bill of sale, or invoice, or elsewhere shall be deemed such a warranty or representation or an assumption of liability. The purchaser assumes complete responsibility for items at the fall of the hammer.

6 The Copley decoy team is committed to accurately cataloging all decoys.

To this end, all decoy lots in this catalog carry guaranteed condition reports.

Copley encourages all potential bidders to contact our decoy specialists at least seven days before the auction with any questions or concerns regarding condition. In many cases, Copley will be able to provide X-ray and UV analysis on select lots. Please note that the auctioneer reserves the right to amend these written reports verbally from the podium at the time of sale. Please note that absentee bids may not be executed on decoys that are affected by any amended condition reports. Since opinions can differ in the matter of condition and age, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC will be the sole judge in the matter of refunds. If we fail to identify a flaw that significantly impacts the decoy’s value, the purchaser may return the decoy.

Duration of Guarantee: Any request for refund of any decoy lot in the auction must be within 48 hours of receipt of the decoy. It is the purchaser’s responsibility to examine the decoy and identify in writing any flaw or flaws that significantly impact the value of the lot. In order to be eligible for the guarantee, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC must receive payment for the decoy within 7 days of the conclusion of the auction.

Receipt of the decoy by the purchaser must take place no more than 21 days after the fall of the gavel. Please note that it is the purchaser’s responsibility to arrange pick-up or shipping of the lot. The guarantee in all cases will end 21 days after the fall of the gavel.

7 Successful bidders are to pay for their purchases during or immediately after the sale or upon receipt of an invoice, unless other arrangements have been authorized in writing by the auction house. Payment may be made by cash or good check payable to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. The auction house reserves the right to hold property until checks clear. A monthly service charge of 1.5% will be added to unpaid balances beginning 30 days after the sale date. A $50.00 fee will be added for returned checks.

If a check fails to clear after the second deposit, the purchaser will be held responsible for any and all fees incurred until we have collected good funds.

8 If the purchaser breaches any of its obligations under these Conditions of Sale, including its obligation to pay in full the purchase price of all items for which it was the highest successful bidder, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may exercise all of its rights and remedies under the law including, without limitation, (a) canceling the sale, and applying any payments made by the purchaser to the damages caused by the purchaser’s breach, and/or (b) offering at public auction, without reserve, any lot or item for which the purchaser has failed to pay in full the purchase price, holding the purchaser liable for any deficiency plus all costs of sale.

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9 Condition reports are not included in this catalog. It is the responsibility of prospective bidders to examine lots and decide their level of interest.

Neither the auctioneer, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, nor the consignor is responsible for the accuracy of any printed or verbal descriptions. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC strongly encourages clients to personally examine lots prior to the auction so as to best determine condition of lots. Due to the high volume of condition requests, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right to reject requests at its sole discretion. All weights and measurements are approximate.

10 Some of the lots in this sale carry reserves or minimum selling prices. This is a confidential figure set by the consignor and the auction house below which a lot will not be sold. The reserve will not exceed the low estimate, and the auction house will execute the reserve bids by bidding for the consignor. Estimates are subject to change at any time prior to the offering of each lot.

11 Absentee and telephone bids will be executed when possible as a convenience to customers; the auction house will not be held responsible for any errors or failures to accurately execute bids. All absentee and telephone bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale.

12 Buyers wishing to pick up items after the auction at our office may do so only by appointment. We kindly ask that all items be removed from our warehouse within 30 days of auction end to avoid a $5 daily storage fee.

13 Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. Upon request, we will provide a list of shippers who deliver within the United States and overseas. Once your payment has cleared, items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.

14 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may, at its discretion and at the buyer’s request, package and ship sold items as directed by the purchaser. In such instances 1) the buyer shall prepay all related expenses, and 2) the buyer agrees that all packaging, handling, and shipment is at the sole risk of the purchaser, and Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyer should allow up to four to five weeks for shipment.

15 Some property sold at auction can be subject to laws governing export from the United States, such as items that include material from some endangered species. Import restrictions from foreign countries are subject to these same governing laws. Granting of licensing for import or export of goods from local authorities is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Denial or delay of licensing will not constitute delay or cancellation in payment for the total purchase price of these lots.

16 Bidding increments will normally follow the pattern below, but may vary at the sole discretion of the auctioneer: Estimate To 950 1,000 – 2,400 2,500 – 4,750 5,000 – 9,500 10,000 – 24,000 25,000 – 47,500 50,000 – 95,000 Over 100,000

Increment 50 100 250 500 1,000 2,500 5,000 at auctioneer’s discretion

17 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is the owner of the images of each lot offered for sale, and may use such images at any time at its sole discretion for advertising, publicity, and for archival purposes.

18 If you are bidding as an agent for another individual or company, and you execute a bid on behalf of someone else under your bidder number, then you are responsible for the settlement of that account.

19 In no event will the liability of Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC to any purchaser with respect to any item exceed the purchase price actually paid by such purchaser for such item.

20 Any legal disputes arising from this auction shall be settled in the court system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

BUYER PRE-REGISTRATION FORM COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, Massachusetts 02043 Tel: 617.536.0030 | Fax: 617.266.4896 | info@copleyart.com | copleyart.com

Name:

Telephone (#1):

Company Name:

Telephone (#2):

Agent acting on behalf of:

Telephone (#3):

Invoice Address: (PO Box not sufficient)

Email:

Signature:

(required)

City:

State:

Zip:

Bids will not be accepted without a completed form, including your signature. Your signature denotes that you have read and agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of Sale issued by Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC for The Winter Sale 2022.

To be sure that bids will be accepted and delivery of lots not delayed, bidders who do not have an account with Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC are requested to supply a bank reference prior to bidding.

All bidders holding a valid Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide their certificate or a copy thereof while registering. Failure to do so will subject the bidder to a mandatory 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases.

I authorize you to contact the references below to provide you with any information in their possession including any business or credit experience with me, and I further agree to accept the cost of any charges such references may incur providing such information.

FINANCIAL REFERENCES

AUCTION REFERENCES

Name of Bank(s):

1. Name of Company:

Address of Bank(s):

Contact Name:

Account Number(s):

Name of Account Officer(s): Bank Telephone: Bank Fax:

Telephone Number: 2. Name of Company: Contact Name:

Telephone Number:

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ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE BID FORM COPLEY FINE ART AUCTIONS | 65 Sharp Street | Hingham, Massachusetts 02043 Tel: 617.536.0030 | Fax: 617.266.4896 | info@copleyart.com | copleyart.com

please check one of the following:

ABSENTEE

TELEPHONE

1 All bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale. We cannot guarantee that bids placed after this time will be accepted. A Copley representative will send you an email to confirm receipt. If you have not received confirmation within 24 hours, please call 617.536.0030. Bids will not be accepted without your signature on this form.

2 This service is offered as a convenience at no charge; however, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC will not be held responsible for error or failure to execute bids. Copley staff will try to purchase these lots for the lowest possible price taking into account the reserve and other bids.

3 All bids are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Sale listed in this auction catalog. Further, it is the responsibility of the bidder to check with Copley staff whether a sale room notice relates to any lot which they have listed.

LOT #

360

a Absentee bids: Absentee bids are executed alternately in competition with phone and internet bidders. It is possible, due to the variations in bidding patterns, that a lot may be won by the audience for the same amount authorized by the absentee bidder. A (+) sign to the right of the bid amount will authorize the absentee bidder to bid one additional bid increment. In the event of identical bids, the first bid received will take precedence. b Telephone bids: If bidding by telephone, the bidder accepts the inherent risks associated with bidding over the telephone.

4 Payment: If successful, you will be contacted. Payment is due immediately upon notification unless arrangements have been made with Copley prior to bidding. A buyer’s premium of 20% of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the Buyer to Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC as part of the purchase price.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

BID PRICE US$

Print Name:

Signature:

(required)

(required)

OUT-OF-STATE DELIVERY AND AUTHORIZED SHIPPING RELEASE FORM I tem(s) will not be released without a signed authorization form from the invoiced Buyer. You may include this form with your payment or fax it to 617.266.4896. Payments of cash, check, or bank transfer must be posted to your account before property is released.

If Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC (Copley) is required to deliver the items to a purchaser outside of Massachusetts, the sale is exempt from Massachusetts Sales Tax under MGLA 64H §6(b) .

1

Copley is obligated to deliver the items out of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2

Copley is obligated to deliver the items to an interstate carrier as noted below.

3

Title will pass upon delivery to the out-of-state destination.

4 Please be aware that packing and the payment for shipping is the responsibility of the successful Buyer. Upon making the item(s) available for shipping to the Buyer or its Agent, Buyer shall be responsible for the care and packaging of the item(s). The Buyer shall bear the risk of loss from and after Copley making available such item(s) to the interstate carrier, including the insurance of the item(s) against all risks of loss including without limitation, fire, theft, or any other damage to the item(s).

5

Shipping can take up to four weeks and is processed in the order in which payment is received.

6 At your option, you may contact one of the interstate carriers listed below, or one of your choosing, to arrange for shipping.

Carriers pick up frequently at our offices.

SHIPPING OPTIONS:

The UPS Store #4423 A.J. Yanakakis, Wakefield, MA 781.224.2500 or store4423@theupsstore.com

Boston Pack and Ship 781.849.8696 or 1.800.400.7204 info@bostonpackandship.com

Scott Cousins/North South Art Transfer Hand delivery service 978.491.9353 or scottcousins22@aol.com

Print name:

U.S. Art* 781.986.6500 or 1.800.872.7826 *Specializing in high-value art, large works, and specialty items

Place and Manner of Delivery:

(as invoiced)

To an Interstate Common Carrier for delivery out of state:

Shipping Address:

I authorize:

to pick up my items(s) (Please specify Name of Common Carrier) Sale Date:

Lot #s :

Phone: Email:

Signature: (required)

Internal use only Received by: Signature:

Print Name:

Date:

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Golden Light

JULIA ROGERS 2022 Featured Artist Available at Auction 2/17/22

SEWE 2022 40 years in the making For 40 years, Charleston has hosted one of the most beloved events in the Southeast. SEWE is a celebration of the great outdoors through fine art, live entertainment, and special events. It is where artists, conservationists, collectors, and sporting enthusiasts come together to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and connect through a shared passion for wildlife. This Is SEWE.

February 17-20, 2022 362

Charleston, SC

sewe.com

Make Clean Water And Healthy Flats A Part Of Your Legacy.

Support Bonefish & Tarpon Trust today and help ensure a healthy flats fishery for generations to come.

Learn more by visiting: www.btt.org/donate Photo: Scott Morrison

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