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THBEarly Ruddy Turnstone
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
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About Auction
LiveFeb 12, 2015 - Feb 13, 2015
Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (564)
- Lot Description
New Jersey
c. 1890
“Never difficult to identify is a decoy of the ‘busy’ and beautiful Ruddy Turnstone (Plate 26). Even its popular name, ‘Calico-back,’ has a pleasant connotation. It was rather common along the whole coast from Canada on south to Florida, but its decoys are decidedly rare. Why one locality made and used the great majority is hard to explain. Almost all those known in collections today originated along the lower half of the Jersey coast. One reason for this may have been its seasonal diets. Never described as a really tasty bird, it was at times downright repulsive. Whalers always referred to the Ruddy Turnstone as the ‘Whale Bird,’ because above all else it preferred the vicinity of an old whale carcass on the high side. This association gave it an unappealing aroma for an indefinite time. But this is only a partial explanation for the rarity of the decoy in general and its frequent occurrence in a single area. It obviously had some appeal to those who gunned the marshes of the Atlantic and Cape May counties. Otherwise the decoy would be as rare as that of the Eskimo Curlew.” William J. Mackey, Jr. "American Bird Decoys"Ruddy turnstones by any maker are exceedingly rare. This example out of the Hillman collection and two others from the same hand hailing from the Mackey and McCleery collections are among the very few examples known.
A painted-eye shorebird decoy with nice patina and vibrant paint. The underside bears the Hillman collection stamp.
Provenance: John Hillman CollectionPrivate Collection
Literature: William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 47, plate 26, rigmate illustrated.Guyette and Schmidt, Inc., "The Hillman Collection: Rare Antique Waterfowl Decoys," St. Michaels, MD, April 25-26, 1996, lot 436, exact decoy illustrated.
Sotheby's and Guyette & Schmidt, "American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery," New York, NY, 2000, lot 369, rigmate illustrated.
Condition: Original paint with light gunning wear and original bill.Condition
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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
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