Early Redhead Drake, George Augustus Peabody (1831-1929) Rig

Lot 252

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 2 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Sporting Sale 2018, Day 2

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 20, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-07-20 10:00:00 2018-07-20 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2018, Day 2 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2018-day-2-3302 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 (425)

Lot Description

Early Redhead Drake
George Augustus Peabody (1831-1929) Rig
Danvers, MA, c. 1860
15 3/4 in. long

This very early and exceptional hollow redhead drake is from the rig of George A. Peabody, an older friend and fellow Harvard graduate of Dr. John C. Phillips (1876-1938).

The removable head is attached by three brass pins, one of which is threaded and held tight by a nut on the underside of the decoy. Matching "XXXI" incisions are on the facing surfaces inside the neck seam. This meticulously crafted removable head system is reminiscent of the dovetailed geese and shorebirds and the Osgood geese. The head is slightly turned and features broad cheeks and detailed bill carving. The long and hollowed body is finished with elaborate wing carving and fine paint. This decoy is perhaps the earliest known example to show this level of sophisticated wing carving.

The bottom board is securely affixed with both nails and screws and is twice branded "G. A.
Origional paint with flaking, gunning wear, and a bill tip chip

Provenance: George A. Peabody Rig
Ronald S. Swanson Collection

Literature: Ronald Swanson, “The Decoy as Folk Sculpture,” Cranbrook Academy of Art Exhibition Catalog, January 1987, p. 15, fig. 19, exact decoy illustrated.
John C. Phillips, "Wenham Lake Shooting Record And The Farm Bag, 1897-1925," 1926, p. 4.

Exhibited: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, “The Decoy as Folk Sculpture,” Cranbrook Academy of Art, January 27-February 22, 1987.

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
- 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 PICK UP THEIR ITEMS AT THE SALE SITE. ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP BY APPOINTMENT OR SHIPPED STARTING FIVE DAYS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE SALE