Bishops Head Canada Goose Decoy, The Ward Brothers

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The Sporting Sale 2019

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 25, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-07-25 10:00:00 2019-07-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2019 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2019-4227
July 25 at 10 am | 550 lots Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  The Ward Brothers
  Lemuel T. (1896-1983) and Stephen (1895-1976)
  Crisfield, MD, 1941
  27 1/4 in. long
  
  “…the reputation of Lem and Steve spread throughout the Chesapeake region, and they produced decoys for gunners in the Upper Bay as well. A few of the gunning clubs ordered Ward decoys, and in some cases a particular Ward style became associated with a specific club. One example is the Canada goose model carved for the Bishops Head Gun Club of Dorchester County.” – C. John Sullivan, "Waterfowling on the Chesapeake, 1819-1936"
  
  A classic and distinct goose decoy made for the Bishops Head Gun Club. This group of decoys was the result of the owner of the club, Colonel Albanus Phillips (1871-1949), and the Ward brothers sitting down and designing wooden replacements for his live goose decoys. This product of their collaboration exhibits additional carved bill detail and a long-reaching neck, portraying a goose swimming. The Wards appear to have maintained a relationship with the club, providing additional decoys and maintenance to the rig over time. A related decoy is featured in the “Hundred Greatest” book.
  
  Of the numerous goose patterns produced by the Ward brothers, the Bishops Head Gun Club model is the most popular. This swimming 106 goose shows articulated bill and full cheek carving with a graceful profile that finishes with a pronounced paddle tail. This exact decoy is prominently featured front and center in the famous 1978 Shertz print, titled "The Decoys of Lem and Steve Ward," which showcased the brothers' "11 favorite working decoys." The underside bears the date "1941," the signature of Lem Ward, the inscription "This goose is on Shertz's Print," and the "MK" brand designating the Kramer Collection.
  
  This exact decoy is also illustrated in Gard and McGrath’s Ward monograph where they describe its “long notch or groove behind the head similar to the fathead design.” They continue to point out “the bird has extraordinary detail carving on the head.” and that “the goose is painted beautifully.” Indeed, Lem applied excellent feathering and fine wing-tip detail. The paint is among the finest seen on any of the Bishops Head geese.
  
  Finding a Bishops Head goose is a true rarity for both the collector of Wards and collectors of all regions. This marks the first time this decoy has been offered for sale in over forty years.
  In strong original paint with even gunning wear, working touch-up to bill tip chips, faint white paint spatter on back, and an age line at neck seam.
  
  Provenance: Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired in 1976
  
  Literature: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, "The Ward Brothers' Decoys: A Collector's Guide," Plano, TX, 1989, pp. 108-112, pl. 101, exact decoy illustrated.
  Glenn Lawson, "The Story of Lem Ward," West Chester, PA, 1984, p. 104, exact decoy illustrated.
  Loy S. Harrell Jr., "Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest," Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 174-175, related example illustrated.
  Bob Ridges, "Decoy Ducks," New York, NY, 1988, p. 157, exact decoy illustrated.
  Lemuel T. Ward Jr. and Paul Shertz, "The Decoys of Lem and Steve Ward," printed by Phototype Engraving, Philadelphia, PA, 1978, exact decoy illustrated.

  Condition

  Please email condition report requests to colin@copleyart.com. Any condition statement given is a courtesy to customers, Copley will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition.
• Shipping Info

  • Shipping info

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