Mackey Great Blue Heron Decoy

Lot 456

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 2023, Day 2 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Winter Sale 2023, Day 2

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 25, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-02-25 10:00:00 2023-02-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2023, Day 2 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2023-day-2-11942 Lots 338-657 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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Lot Description

Mackey Great Blue Heron Decoy
Mid-Atlantic, c. 1880
36 in. long

This Mackey Collection decoy is a rare authentic root-head heron with a grand body measuring over two feet from the breast to the tail. The head was fashioned from a single branch which naturally curves to the bird's form.

Acquiring real vintage great blue heron decoys is tremendously challenging. This lot was presented with a photograph in the sparsely illustrated 1974 Mackey catalog. The auctioneers, recognizing its rarity, placed it in a "Special Interest Decoys" feature.
Old, possibly original paint with heavy gunning wear, including a chip to bill tip and a four-and-one-half-inch section of the lower neck section is a Mackey-era restoration.

Provenance: William J. Mackey Collection
John R. Wierdsma Collection

Literature: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., "Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys, from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey, Jr. of Belford, New Jersey," Hyannis, MA, Session V-VI, July 9-10, 1974, lot 439, 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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