Dovetailed Black-Bellied Plover

Lot 13

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

Price	Bid Increment
$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 2018, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Sporting Sale 2018, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 19, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-07-19 13:00:00 2018-07-19 13:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2018, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2018-day-1-3286 On July 19, Copley Fine Art Auctions will lead off their annual Sporting Sale with 140 lots from the Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys. On July 20 Copley will present an additional 425 lots of decoys, fish carvings, and sporting art. Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

View Full Catalog (140)

Lot Description

Dovetailed Black-Bellied Plover
Massachusetts or Pennsylvania, c. 1870
11 in. long

This hollow plover is an expertly crafted decoy. It was created by the same maker as lot 12 in this sale. The inside surfaces of the neck joint are stamped with a corresponding numeral “3.” The body was carefully hand hollowed, creating the lightest practical decoy possible. In addition to the dovetail, the form, paint, and construction feature a number of fine details virtually unseen in other makers’ works.

While the talented creator of this bird and the dovetailed goose decoy remain a mystery, their origins have been attributed to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, where the dovetailed shorebirds and geese have been found, respectively.
Original paint with minimal even gunning wear, a small expertly crafted repair to back left corner of head joint.

Provenance: Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection

Literature: Loy S. Harrell, Jr., "Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest," Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 176-177, exact decoy illustrated.
Gwladys Hopkins, "Massachusetts Masterpieces," Lincoln, MA, 2016, pp. 74-75 and pl. 20, rigmate illustrated.
Milton C. Weiler and William J. Mackey, Jr., "Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings," New York, NY, 1971, pl. 20, related willet illustrated.
Laurence Sheehan, "The Sporting Life," New York, NY, 1992, p. 79, exact decoy illustrated.

Condition

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.
Shipping Info
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