High-Head Black Duck Hen
Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974)
Danbury, CT, c. 1941
17 1/2 in. long
The maker’s refined head carving, dynamic poses, and exceptional scratch and feather paint place him in the ranks of Stratford’s finest carvers, alongside Charles E. "Shang" Wheeler. This black duck hen with a high and turned head and exquisite paint shows Rathmell at his best.
"...one of the best gunning rigs ever made." -Dixon Merkt
Excellent original paint with even gunning wear, and a small repair to right bill tip.
Provenance: Louis Rathmell Rig
Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the maker, c. 1962
Literature: Henry C. Chitwood, "Connecticut Decoys," West Chester, PA, 1987, p. 98, exact decoy illustrated.
Cliff Alexander, "Lou Rathmell: A Decoy Maker Who Lived in a Castle," Decoy Magazine, November/December 2015, p. 25 and front cover, rigmates illustrated.
Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, “The World of Shooting,” Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated.
Dixon Merkt, "Gentleman Carvers of Connecticut," ""The Clarion,"" Spring 1980, p. 50, rigmate illustrated.
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.