High-Head Canvasback Decoy by Capt. John C. Schweikart (1870-1954)

Lot 137

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

The Winter Sale 2024, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Winter Sale 2024, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 23, 2024

Set Reminder 2024-02-23 10:00:00 2024-02-23 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2024, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2024-day-1-14595 Lots 1-238 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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Lot Description

High-Head Canvasback
Capt. John C. Schweikart (1870-1954)
Strawberry Island, MI, c. 1910
15 1/2 in. long

This decoy was selected for Walsh and Jackson's "Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the Lake St. Clair Region." One of the finest Schweikart canvasbacks known, its bull head is the highest of any. John Schweikart lived and worked in Detroit. He and his brother Carl were motorboat and racing yacht builders. In addition to serving as the president of Schweikart Boat Works, John was an avid outdoorsman. He would sail his own boat, "The Huntress," to victory in regattas and to his camp on Strawberry Island on Lake St. Clair to hunt and fish.

This drake exhibits a high version of Schweikart's signature bull neck. His construction is meticulous and unique; the wing tips are aluminum, a two-piece copper bottom plate provides a winged keel, and even the head was hand hollowed. The underside is branded "Kangas."
Old paint with moderate gunning wear.

Provenance: Kangas Collection of International Folk Art and Decoys
Private Collection

Literature: Clune Walsh Jr. and Lowell G. Jackson, "Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and the Lake St. Clair Region," Detroit, MI, 1983, pl. 2-3, and p. 29, exact decoy illustrated. Guyette & Deeter, “North American Decoys at Auction April 21 & 22, 2016,” Portsmouth, NH, page 77, lot 139, exact decoy illustrated.

Condition

Please email condition report requests to colin@copleyart.com. 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
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