20 Winter Street
Pembroke, MA 02359
United States
Founded in 2005, Copley Fine Art Auctions is a boutique auction house specializing in antique decoys and American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Over the course of the last two decades, the firm has set auction records for not only individual decoy makers, but also entire carving regions. Copley...Read more
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Jul 28, 2017 - Jul 29, 2017
Golden Plover
George H. Boyd (1873-1941)
Seabrook, NH, c. 1890
10 1/2 in. long
The construction of this plump working decoy indicates that it is a very early example by the maker. The decoy is solid but made from two pieces of continuous grain wood. The application of thick stipple paint on this decoy, representing winter plumage, is further enhanced by the "wet-on-wet" feather blending. The full range of sepia tints, ranging from light to dark within each stroke, is extraordinary, giving the bird the mottled life-like appearance of the species.
Given the bird's species, grand size, two-piece construction, spectacular stippled paint, and provenance, one would be hard pressed to find a better example.
Outstanding original paint with minor gunning wear and repair to right side of bill.
Provenance: Peter Brams Collection Grant Nelson Collection
Literature: Jim Cullen, "Finely Carved and Nicely Painted: The Life, Art and Decoys of George H. Boyd, Seabrook, NH, 1873-1941," Rye, NH, 2009, p. 23, related example illustrated.
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.
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