Phillips Collection Decorative Hooded Merganser by Robert W. Means (1886-1971)

Lot 455

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

Phillips Collection Decorative Hooded Merganser
Robert W. Means (1886-1971)
Beverly Farms, MA, 1930
11 in. tall, 12 in. long

A turned-head merganser with an underside bearing an inked inscription that reads, "To John C. Phillips, made from a piece cut on his estate, Wenham. Robert W. Means 1930." Dr. Phillips (1876-1938) was a renowned conservationist, author, and early top patron of Elmer Crowell (1852-1962).

Robert Whitman Means (1886-1971) was a friend, neighbor, and hunting companion of Phillips. He was also a carver, a naturalist, and a founding member of the Essex County Ornithological Club since its inception in 1916.

This highly sophisticated early decorative carving accurately depicts the species. It is rare, especially given the era in which it was made when A. E. Crowell was one of the few decorative bird carvers. Clearly, Means was familiar with the work of Phillips' famous gunning camp manager as this carving displays crossed raised wing tips similar to the Harwich master.

Included with this lot are three books, "Shooting Stands of Eastern Massachusetts" (signed) by John C. Phillips, and "My Bird Dogs and Hounds" and "My Guns" (signed) by Gordon Means.
Original and restored paint, mostly to flaked areas, including wings, thighs, and head. Reset tail chip.

Provenance: John C. Phillips Collection, acquired from the maker
Private Collection, Massachusetts

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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