Shorebird Trio by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952)

Lot 80

About Seller

20 Winter Street
Pembroke, MA 02359
United States

Founded in 2005, Copley Fine Art Auctions is a boutique auction house specializing in antique decoys and American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Over the course of the last two decades, the firm has set auction records for not only individual decoy makers, but also entire carving regions. Copley...Read more

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About Auction

The Winter Sale 2025, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Winter Sale 2025, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 21, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-02-21 10:00:00 2025-02-21 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2025, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2025-day-1-17703 Lots 1-261 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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Lot Description

Shorebird Trio
A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952)
East Harwich, MA, c. 1910
running yellowlegs is 14 in. long

This shorebird trio consists of three rare decoys. There is rigmate pair of yellowlegs from the rig of Joseph F. Sherer and a willet made during the same period. The yellowlegs duo features a rare running greater yellowlegs and an even less common sentinel lesser yellowlegs. The long and thin original bill on the lesser yellowlegs is especially noteworthy. Their incredible near-mint condition suggests that they were never used in the field. In the early 1900s, Joseph F. Sherer hunted with A. Elmer Crowell and George Flynn, the largest landowner on Martha's Vineyard at the time. This pair is from the same collection as the record-setting Crowell decorative running curlew sold as lot 198 in Copley's Sporting Sale 2007.

The rarity of Crowell's willet decoys cannot be overstated and only a handful of decoys from this rig have ever surfaced. This willet pattern is an inch longer than his greater yellowlegs of the same pose. It is finished with Crowell's well-executed blended paint and a two-tone painted tack eye. The underside bears a conjoined "JF" stamp for the Joe French Collection. A rigmate resided in one of the nation's top Crowell collections.
The yellowlegs pair are in original paint with minimal wear. Willet is in original paint with light gunning wear, a replaced bill, and small ding to left side of neck.

Provenance: Joseph F. Sherer Collection, acquired directly from the artist (yellowlegs)
Private Collection, by descent from the above (yellowlegs)
Joe French Collection (willet)
Private Collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts (willet)
Private Collection, Florida

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, no willet decoy illustrated, p. 164, exact yellowlegs pair illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, pp. 14-15, McCleery lesser yellowlegs with replaced bill illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, pp. 162 and 163, McCleery greater yellowlegs decoys illustrated. Brian Cullity, "The Songless Aviary: The World of A. E. Crowell & Son," Sandwich, MA, 1992, p. 60, Harmon lesser yellowlegs with short bill illustrated.

Condition

Please refer to the description; if you have questions, email colin@copleyart.com.
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