Kankakee Pintail Drake Decoy, Herman R. Trinosky (1874-1956) Rig

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The Sporting Sale 2021, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 9, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-07-09 10:00:00 2021-07-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2021, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2021-day-1-7026
Lots 1-246 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  Kankakee Pintail Drake
  Herman R. Trinosky (1874-1956) Rig
  Kankakee Marsh, IN, c. 1895
  9 1/4 in. tall, 19 in. long
  
  "In the early 1800s, the Grand Kankakee Marsh was recognized as the largest fresh water wetland in the Midwest, extending for approximately a million acres mostly through northwest Indiana (600,000 acres) and partially into eastern Illinois. The fertile, ancient marshland provided a welcomed safe haven for migrating waterfowl. It was once a winding, thriving wetland providing lush habitats for a diverse menagerie of creatures from insects to fish, birds, and buffalo. Ducks that migrated through that area more recently are descendants of millions of transient waterfowl which once frequented the Grand Marsh.
  
  ?Some prominent notables who regularly visited Kankakee Marsh were Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Civil War General Lew Wallace, the author of "Ben Hur," published in 1880. In fact, the original name of the Valley Hunt Club was changed to the White House Hunt Club because of the frequent presidential visits by Grover Cleveland." ? Gene and Linda Kangas with Ron Gard
  
  Well over a decade has passed since the discovery of the first Kankakee pintails. This has been considered by most to be the greatest material decoy find of the twenty-first century. Within three years, a total of just seven of these high-head pintails were collected, consisting of three drakes and four hens. Those seven exceptional birds quickly found their way into the nation?s top decoy and Americana collections and into two books, including the front cover of one.
  
  Information on the rig has trickled out slowly. In 2010 Robert Shaw illustrated four birds in his ?Bird Decoys of North America,? in which he reported that seven were found in a house in Indiana. Later, Herman Trinosky?s name came up as the rig owner of these Kankakee pintails. In 2019 it was reported that a hen ?...was in the original burlap bag given as a gift from Trinosky to the family that helped him clean out his barn.? Long-term burlap storage likely accounts for the darker patina of the three other drakes. Set aside decades, or even a century ago, this pinnacle drake was selected by Trinosky to keep in the family, where it has been preserved for four generations. This Trinosky Family Drake has been consigned by a direct descent of Herman Trinosky.
  
  Throughout history, decoy carvers often amended or altogether discarded their early patterns in favor of sturdier utilitarian designs. A perfect example of this evolution is Henry Keyes Chadwick (1865-1958) of Martha?s Vineyard whose earliest redheads started out with stylish thin necks, long bodies, and thin sharp paddle tails. Later he modified his designs to have shorter bodies and thicker necks, thus acknowledging the utility flaws of his first carving period. With limited output and easily broken heads and tails, few of these intact redheads exist today. These early ?flawed? designs, however, are the ones most coveted by collectors today. While no examples of middle-period or late-period Kankakee pintails are known to exist, more conventional and less fragile examples of mallards and bluebills from the rig attest to the maker?s more practical side.
  
  Defined by its elegant form, this decoy showcases long and sweeping lines. The bird?s refined head features subtle cheek carving and a stylish bill that flares toward the tip. The graceful neck is fully extended and slightly drawn back, forming a S-curve through the sweeping breast. This neck treatment is accurate for the species, but essentially unseen in other surviving decoys. The body exhibits a smooth humped back that tapers to a long and thin uplifted tail. Viewed from above, the tail reveals a two-staged taper adorned with crisp yellow primaries.
  
  The bird?s current condition is remarkable given its design which was prone to breakage while being hunted and transported. The body?s surface retains the strongest and brightest paint of any known decoy from the rig.
  
  The form, paint, patina, and untouched condition of this new discovery place the Trinosky Family Kankakee Pintail Drake at the apex of this iconic rig.
  Bright original paint with even gunning wear, tight crack in neck, and chip to tip of tail. Original paint drips under tail.
  
  Provenance: Herman Trinosky Rig
  Private Collection, by descent in the family from the above
  
  Literature: Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, p. 39, rigmates illustrated. Gene and Linda Kangas, "Great Lakes Interpretations," Concord, OH, 2011, front cover and, p. 182, rigmates illustrated. Gene and Linda Kangas with Ron Gard, "Kankakee Marsh Pintails: The Magnificent Seven," from "Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine," Lawsonville, NC, July-August 2009, pp. 16-26, rigmates illustrated. Christie's, "Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Prints and Decoys," New York, NY, January 18-19, 2007, lot 365, hens illustrated. Guyette & Deeter Inc., "North American Decoys at Auction," July 2019, lots 139 and 140, burlap storage of rigmate discussed.

  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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