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THBPreening White-Winged Scoter Decoy, Augustus "Gus" Aaron Wilson (1864-1950)
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
LiveFeb 19, 2021
Lots 1-292 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (292)
- Lot Description
Augustus "Gus" Aaron Wilson (1864-1950)
South Portland, ME, c. 1900
16 in. long
Exhibiting a wide body with clean lines, this Wilson sea duck showcases his preening archetype. The maker's classic Monhegan Island model is regarded as one of Maine's most important contributions to the art of decoy carving. The preening head is contained in a single piece of wood which is inletted into the body.
Closely related models have been prized by America's top decoy and folk art collectors, including Thomas K. Figge, Donal C. O'Brien Jr., Jim Doherty, Russell Aitken, William J. Mackey Jr., Adele Earnest, and fashion moguls Jerry Lauren and Edwin Lewis, among others. In addition to the white-winged scoter pair seen on these pages, Dr. Muller was so enamored with the forms that he owned a related surf scoter pair which was sold in Session I of the Muller Collection in 2020.
Original and working paint with even gunning wear, tight age line in tail, original wood knots along right flank.
Provenance: Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired in 1977
Literature: Paul A. Johnsgard, "The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form," Lincoln, NE, 1976, p. 75, fig. 73, Muller's Wilson surf scoters illustrated. Frank Maresca & Roger Ricco, "American Vernacular," New York, NY, 2002, pp. 38-39, similar preening decoy illustrated. Joel Barber, "Wild Fowl Decoys," New York, NY, 1954, p. 59, diagram of similar scoter illustrated. Christie's, "The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller," New York, NY, May 10, 2018, lots 1062 and 1063, related decoys illustrated. Adele Earnest, "The Art of The Decoy," New York, NY, 1965, p. 194, pl. 169, related animated Wilson examples illustrated. Quintina Colio, "American Decoys," Ephrata, PA, 1972, pp. 30-31, related decoys illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, p. 3, related example illustrated. Linda and Gene Kangas, "Decoys," Paducah, KY, 1992, p. 246, pl. 442-444, closely related example illustrated three times.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.Condition
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