Standing Canada Goose Decoy by Jerry Mastin (1880-1959)

Lot 100

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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The Winter Sale 2023, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

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The Winter Sale 2023, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 24, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-02-24 10:00:00 2023-02-24 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2023, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2023-day-1-11939 Lots 1-337 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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Lot Description

Standing Canada Goose
Jerry Mastin (1880-1959)
Portland, OR, 1937
26 in. long

This iconic and peerless rig of geese was initiated by the request of Mastin's hunting partner, Roger Eaton, for use in harvested wheat fields. The exceedingly refined construction of this rig took too much of Mastin's time for him to complete the planned dozen in time for hunting season, so the rig began with nine. The numbers dwindled by the time collectors found the rig in 1972. One whole bird and the only feeding head were lost and another neck has been replaced. This attrition brings the maximum known whole birds down to only six. All of the birds were found in repaint with lamp black. This survivor and its handful of rigmates have found new fields of plenty in the eyes of authors, curators, and collectors.

The scarcity of these birds aside, Gerald Rosenthal in the "Great Book" writes, "the Jerry Mastin Canada geese are among those that stand out, not because of their rarity, but because of the special qualities transferred to the wood by the artistic decoy carver."It is no wonder Mastin never completed his original concept of a dozen geese as the workmanship in this decoy is among the finest seen in any decoy. The body circumference is thirty inches and it's hollowed as thin as any Nantucket, Delaware River, or Ontario masterwork with no apparent body seam visible. Slight wing separation down the back leads to a raised neck seat for the removable head. A mortise-and-tenon joint is numbered "3"on both sides and is faced in copper. Lastly, two small wooden pegs under the neck slip into the body for secure alignment. The thin neck raises in a sentinel position and flares out an exceptionally well-carved head.

The product of Mastin's efforts is "Unquestionably, the finest Canada goose decoys made in the west," write Miller and Hanson, "and perhaps all of North America..."Like many of the history's greatest makers, including Crowell, Cobb, Schoenheider, and the Dovetailed Maker, Mastin not only rose to the unique challenges of the goose, but also elevated the decoy making craft to a premier level in doing so.

"No piece of carving, other than the geese, is known or needs to be known. Mr. Eaton's geese assure Mastin's place as a master carver." - Gerald Rosenthal "The Great Book of Waterfowl Decoys"

"Unquestionably, the finest Canada goose decoys made in the west, and perhaps all of North America, are the nine field geese carved by Jerry Mastin of Portland, Oregon in 1937." - Miller and Hanson, "Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast"
Mix of original and repaint with the rig's black having been removed and even wear. Approximately one inch of mounting flange on underside is reset.

Provenance: Roger Eaton Rig
Lew Clingan Collecion
Richard and Dorothy Wheeler Collection, acquired from the above

Literature: Michael R. Miller and Frederick W. Hanson, "Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast,"Portland, OR, 1989, pp. 70, 103-104, and 108, exact decoy and rigmates illustrated. Joe Engers, ed., "The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys," San Diego, CA, 1990, pp. 261-265, rigmate illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, p. 264 and back cover, rigmate illustrated. Gene and Linda Kangas, "Decoys: A North American Survey," Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 280, top bird, rigmate illustrated.

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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