Black Duck
Stratford School
Stratford, CT, c. 1900
16 1/2 in. long
A very hollow decoy with a pinched breast and extensive feather work. The feather carving expressed on this early decoy is remarkable, and while comparisons can be drawn to related treatments by fastidious masters Orel LeBoeuf (1886 -1968) and Sam Hutchings (b. 1892 or 1894), the finishing style of this maker’s carving is completely unique. Branded "CRW" on bottom board.
In old working paint with even gunning wear and an old tail chip.
Provenance: Charles R. Wells Rig
Private Collection, Connecticut
Literature: Henry C. Chitwood, "Connecticut Decoys," West Chester, PA, 1987, p. 131, rigmate illustrated.
Gene and Linda Kangas, “Decoys: A North American Survey,” Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 80 rigmate illustrated.
Copley Fine Art Auctions, "The Sporting Sale 2013," Plymouth, MA, July 2013, lot 55, related mergansers illustrated.
Condition
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