Rare Running Plover
Cobb Island, VA, c. 1870
11 in. long
Nathan Cobb Sr. sailed his family south from Cape Cod to the Eastern Shore of Virginia where they settled around 1837. The family brought with them Massachusetts carving concepts, including the refined split-tail carving style adopted by Lothrop Holmes, A. Elmer Crowell, and Joseph Lincoln. Over time, the Cobbs evolved this style into their own. A well-balanced decoy, this plover exhibits pleasing proportions with full cheeks and a plump body that resolves with a precise Cobb Island wing carving and tail cut. Birds from this important Cobb rig were first discovered by William J. Mackey Jr., from whose collection this decoy hails. Later, they were brought to the broader public’s attention when Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr. featured related examples in his "Shore Bird Decoys" book. This plover, with its crisp clean lines and original bill, hits the highest level of craftsmanship seen in the decoys that survived the remote island’s storm-wrecked history.
The underside bears both the "Mackey Collection" and “NELSON” collection stamps and an incised "J J."
In early gunning paint with minor darkening to spots of flaking.
Provenance: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection
Robert Gresham Collection
Grant Nelson Collection
Literature: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., "Shore Bird Decoys," Exton, PA, 1980, p. 130, back dust-jacket cover, related example illustrated.
Joe Engers, ed., "The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys," San Diego, CA, 1990, pp. 166-167, related example illustrated.
Dr. Lloyd Newberry, "The Saga of Cobb Island," Sporting Classics, Spring/Summer 2018, pp. 140-145, related example illustrated.
Robert H. Richardson, ed., "Chesapeake Bay Decoys," Burtonsville, MD, 1991, p. 184, related decoy illustrated.
Condition
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