Pinch-Breast Pintail Drake
The Ward Brothers
Lemuel T. (1896-1983) and Stephen (1895-1976)
Crisfield, MD, c. 1932
18 1/2 in. long
A rare pinch-breast model pintail from the rig of aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin (1886-1995). Regarding the pinch-breast pintail, Gard and McGrath state, "the design is considered the best in Ward pintails and is valued with that of earlier Ward styles."
Original paint with heavy gunning wear, roughness to head, and an original crack in back.
Provenance: Glenn L. Martin Rig
Ronald S. Swanson Collection
Literature: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, "The Ward Brothers' Decoys: A Collector's Guide," Plano, TX, 1989, pp. 57-63, related examples illustrated.
Ronald Swanson, “The Decoy as Folk Sculpture,” Cranbrook Academy of Art Exhibition Catalog, January 1987, p. 29, fig. 43 (2nd from right), exact decoy illustrated.
Exhibited: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, “The Decoy as Folk Sculpture,” Cranbrook Academy of Art, January 27-February 22, 1987.
Condition
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