Exceptional Bobwhite Quail Pair, A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952)

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The Winter Sale 2021, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 19, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-02-19 10:00:00 2021-02-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2021, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2021-day-1-6296
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• Lot Description
  A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952)
  East Harwich, MA, 1938
  male is 8 in. long and female is 7 ½ in. long base is 14 in. long
  
  "The strangest sight Mr. Crowell has seen during his long life concerned with birds was a covey of quail which he twice saw landing on water. This apparently inexplicable phenomenon was, according to Mr. Crowell, a case of a whole flock of birds getting thoroughly fooled by the reflection of the bank in the water. 'Shosh-shosh-shosh, they came down,' he explained. "And never did I see birds so completely disgusted with themselves. Why those quails just sit there so plumb mad about the whole business that I rowed right over and picked 'em up without a flutter.'" - Cape Cod Standard-Times, August 23, 1940
  
  Today wild quail and other upland species are not commonly associated with Cape Cod; however, they were fairly abundant in Crowell's time and he was very familiar with the species as several accounts attest to. In addition to his experience handling live quail, he had experience with them as a market gunner. Receipts from 1892 reveal he received twenty cents for a brace of quail from Boston's Faneuil Hall sellers Willis and Watts. Two years later a Boston Globe article reports: "Elmer Crowell, B. B. Nickerson, J. P. Nickerson and other gentlemen...are making preparations to greet the feathered flocks which are due to arrive in that vicinity next week; this locality is also a good one for partridges and quail." Crowell regularly hunted bobwhite quail on the Cape and, as a result, the maker developed a thorough understanding of the species' anatomy, posture, and covey behavior. This, in turn, enabled him to carve sculptures of quail that bear an amazing resemblance to the live birds.
  
  This exceedingly rare double-mount pair puts the sporting artistâ's deep understanding on full display as the male stands sentinel on the high ground while his mate inspects a possible meal. It may be the only known example of a full-size double-mount bobwhite by the maker and perhaps the only known life-sized pair on a single base of any Crowell species. In addition to the birds, Crowell created an intricate carved caddis or moth, which the hen is closing in on, making the presentation even more noteworthy. This rare third element was applied by the carver very sparingly and is seen on a notable feeding yellowlegs with a carved fly.
  
  Each bird features excellent wet-on-wet feather blending to illustrate the bobwhite's intricate plumage. The birds are finished with carved bill detail and incised tail feathers. The maker signed "A. E. Crowell E. Harwich, MA, 1938" in ink and struck his rectangular stamp on the bottom of the painted base.
  Outstanding original paint with minimal wear and slight rub to paint on back edge of base.
  
  Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, pp. 15, 42, 183, related carvings illustrated. Eldred's, "Summer Sale," East Dennis, MA, July 30, 2020, lot 1, exact carving illustrated.

  Condition

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