Hollow Golden Plover Decoy

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The Sporting Sale 2019

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 25, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-07-25 10:00:00 2019-07-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2019 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2019-4227
July 25 at 10 am | 550 lots Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  Chatham, MA, c. 1870
  11 in. long
  
  Though attributed to the work of Lothrop Holmes in Levinson and Headley's "Shorebirds: The Birds, The Hunters, The Decoys," this superb hollow decoy was more likely crafted by a Cape Cod maker whose name we will probably never known. Regardless of the maker's name, the skilled hand who created this Massachusetts plover is to be celebrated; his craftsmanship is exceptional. Indeed, the bird has been featured in the two books solely dedicated to the art of the shorebird decoy. The bird was hollowed "paper thin" to make transport of the rig less burdensome for the gunner. The maker's attention to detail is revealed by the nearly invisible scribe-line seam that remains perfectly intact one hundred and forty years after its creation. The highly adept paint pattern perfectly mirrors that of a real golden plover and speaks to the painter's knowledge of the species.
  In early working paint with gunning wear.
  
  Provenance: Somers Headley Collection Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection, acquired from the above in 1995
  
  Literature: John M. Levinson and Somers G. Headley, "Shorebirds: The Birds, The Hunters, The Decoys," Centreville, MD, 1991, p. 57, pl. 4-10, exact decoy illustrated.
  Paul A. Johnsgard, "The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form," Lincoln, NE, 1976, p. 158, related Eskimo curlew illustrated.
  Copley Fine Art Auctions, "The Donal C. O'Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III," July, 2018, lot 76, related Eskimo curlew illustrated.
  Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., “Shore Bird Decoys,” Exton, PA, 1980, p. 72, pl. 74, 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.
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