20 Winter Street
Pembroke, MA 02359
United States
Founded in 2005, Copley Fine Art Auctions is a boutique auction house specializing in antique decoys and American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Over the course of the last two decades, the firm has set auction records for not only individual decoy makers, but also entire carving regions. Copley...Read more
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Jul 28, 2017 - Jul 29, 2017
Curlew
Eastern Shore, VA, c. 1890
16 in. long
William J. Mackey, Jr. was very fond of this bold curlew, illustrating it multiple times in his publications. In a 1965 article he asks, "Who would deny the right of [this decoy] to sit between a curlew by N. Cobb and one by Tom Gelston?" Of the rig and its maker he states, "a capable unidentified carver enriched decoy collectors and his work should command their fullest respect."
A statley curlew carving with deeply incised wings and delicate head carving. The underside bears the Mackey Collection ink stamp.
Original paint with gunning wear to bare wood, touch-up to face, reset neck, and a replaced bill.
Provenance: William J. Mackey, Jr. Collection Grant Nelson Collection
Literature: William J. Mackey, Jr., "A Covey of Classic Decoys," True Magazine, November, 1964, p. 49 and front cover, exact decoy illustrated.
William J. Mackey, Jr., “What's In A Name?” "Decoy Collector’s Guide," July-Sept 1965, p. 3, exact decoy illustrated.
Condition report requests can be made via email or by telephone (info@copleyart.com or 617.536.0030). 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.
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