EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBThe Connett Wheeler Black Duck Decoy by Charles "Shang" Wheeler (1872-1949)
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
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
About Auction
LiveJul 13, 2023
Lots 1-243 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (243)
- Lot Description
The Connett Wheeler Black Duck
Charles "Shang" Wheeler (1872-1949)
Stratford, CT, c. 1940
18 1/2 in. long
“To Eugene V. Connett, with my compliments. It is wide and flat as Doctor Burke would like it, with a lifelike pose as Lynn Hunt would like it, painted something like a Black Duck as I would like it and a bit oversize so you will like it.” I HOPE YOU DO ‘Shang’” — “Shang” Wheeler, remark written on the bottom of The Connett Wheeler Black Duck
None other than “Shang” Wheeler himself deemed this decoy to be the best of his abilities. On the underside of the decoy, Wheeler confides in Connett and invokes their peers’ preferences: “To Eugene V. Connett, with my compliments. It is wide and flat as Doctor Burke would like it, with a lifelike pose as Lynn Hunt would like it, painted something like a Black Duck as I would like it and a bit oversize so you will like it.” I HOPE YOU DO ‘Shang.’”
Everyone named in the above inscription contributed to Eugene V. Connett’s 1940s classic “Duck Shooting Along the Atlantic Tidewater.” One chapter was even penned by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952). Many within the decoy collecting field consider this bird to be the finest Shang Wheeler black duck known to exist.
Excellent original paint with light wear.
Provenance: Eugene V. Connett Collection
Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection
Thomas M. Evans Jr. Collection
Literature: Charles E. Wheeler and Eugene V. Connett, ed., "Duck Shooting Along the Atlantic Tidewater," New York, NY, 1947, pp. 72-74, Wheeler’s decoys illustrated and discussed.
Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2018, p. 170, exact decoy 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.
- Shipping Info
-
Copley does not offer in-house packing or shipping. For clients who require shipping, please complete the Shipping Release Form and return it with your payment. The form includes a list of shippers we frequently work with.
-
- Buyer's Premium
