Early and Important Canada Goose Decoy, George Warin (1830-1905)

Lot 289

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 2019 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

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

View Full Catalog (547)

Lot Description

George Warin (1830-1905)
Toronto Island, Ontario, Canada, c. 1883
20 1/2 in. long

“The best of the Warin geese, according to [Bruce] Malcom, who has acquired a small flock of them, came out of the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company. His favorite (and the author’s too) was made for Charles H. Gooderham of Toronto, a club member from 1883-1899. This style has beautiful proportion, sculpture and painting, and is hollowed to a lightness that could easily serve as a symbol of the Toronto school of decoy making.” - Bernard Crandell

Two serendipitous circumstances set over one hundred years apart allow us to draw some amazing conclusions regarding the use and ownership of this Canadian treasure. The first was the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company's decision to brand the bottom of their decoys and thus designate the ownership of gunning rigs of existing and incoming members. The second was Bernie Gates' decision to publish the list. Gates explains, "Collectors fortunate enough to find these birds are able to accurately date them." The underside of this decoy is branded "C.HG," "F. H. WALKER," and "A H BUHL," for three of its owners whose memberships collectively spanned 1883 to 1933.

The Warins created lightweight, hollow decoys that were perfectly suited to the calm waters of southwestern Ontario. George Warin (1830-1905) and his brother James (1832-1884) first apprenticed to the highly esteemed boat-builder Robert G. Renardson before taking over his business in 1873. As a testament to their craftsmanship, a Warin-built racing scull won the 1881 and 1882 world championships. George Warin used his exceptional boat-building skills to carve decoys which “set a new standard of excellence in the region and were imitated by dozens of later Toronto and southwestern Ontario craftsmen,” according to historian Robert Shaw. Warin was also the first president of the St. Clair Flats Shooting Company and his recommendation positioned carver Thomas Chambers (1860-1948) as the club's keeper.

The featherweight decoy displays the maker's earliest and best form in addition to his accomplished fine blended feathering. Original paint with even gunning wear, old stabilizing nails to neck and bill cracks, gunning putty to shot scars.

Provenance: Charles H. Gooderham Rig
Franklin H. Walker Rig
Arthur H. Buhl Rig
Herb Wetanson Collection

Literature: Bernard Crandell, "George Warin Revisited," Decoy Magazine, May/June 1997, front cover and p. 9 rigmate illustrated.
Bernie Gates, "Ontario Decoys II," Kingston, ON, 1986, p. 65, related decoy illustrated.
Gene and Linda Kangas, "Decoys: A North American Survey," Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 211, pl. 38, related decoy illustrated.
Copley Fine Art Auctions, "The Donal C. O'Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I-II," July 27, 2017, p. 56, lot 7, related decoy illustrated.
Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, pp. 232-233.
Loy S. Harrell Jr., "Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest," Iola, WI, 2000, pp. 56-57, related 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
  
  Copley Fine Art Auctions does not handle the shipping of any items. Shipping is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Once your payment has cleared, and we have received your authorized shipping release form items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.
  
  Please be aware that internet bidders may NOT not pick up their items at the sale. Items will be available for pick up by appointment or by shippers five days after the sale.