Black Duck Decoy, Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974)

Lot 28

About Seller

65 Sharp Street
Hingham, MA 02043
United States

Copley Fine Art Auctions is the world's leading American sporting art auction company. Located in Hingham, MA, Copley specializes in antique decoys and 19th- and 20th-century American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Principal Stephen O'Brien Jr., a fourth-generation sportsman with a refined colle...Read more

Bid Increments

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$0	$50
$1,000	$100
$2,500	$250
$5,000	$500
$10,000	$1,000
$25,000	$2,500
$50,000	$5,000

About Auction

The Sporting Sale 2022, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Sporting Sale 2022, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 14, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-07-14 10:00:00 2022-07-14 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2022, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2022-day-1-9460 Lots 1-332 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

View Full Catalog (332)

Lot Description

Black Duck
Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974)
Danbury, CT, c. 1945
17 3/4 in. long

The maker’s refined head carving, dynamic poses, and exceptional scratch and feather paint place him alongside Shang Wheeler as Stratford's finest carvers. Published article titles on Rathmell include "Gentleman carvers of Connecticut" and "Lou Rathmell: A decoy maker who lived in a castle."

The body was made with a very thick wooden bottom board and cork top, and features a turned head and inserted wooden tail.
Original paint with light gunning wear, minimal darkening to body, and touch-up to bill tip.

Literature: Cliff Alexander, "Lou Rathmell: A decoy maker who lived in a castle," Decoy Magazine, November/December 2015, p. 25 and front cover, rigmates illustrated. Dixon Merkt, "Gentleman Carvers of Connecticut," The Clarion, Spring 1980, p. 50, rigmate illustrated and 1941 rig discussed.

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
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