The Haid Cavanaugh Ward Mallard Drake Decoy, The Ward Brothers

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The Winter Sale 2022, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Mar 4, 2022

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Lots 1-264 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  The Haid Cavanaugh Ward Mallard Drake
  The Ward Brothers
  Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976)
  Crisfield, MD, c. 1936-1942
  17 in. long
  
  “Stephen W. Ward (1895-1976) and his brother Lemuel Travis Ward (1896-1984) of Crisfield, Maryland were by far the most prominent Chesapeake Bay carvers of the twentieth century and among the greatest and most influential bird carvers of all time. The brothers worked closely together throughout their lives, combining the complementary talents of Steve’s hand carving and Lem’s brushwork to create works of extraordinary grace and realism.” — Robert Shaw, “Bird Decoys of North America”
  
  In describing a closely related bird, Ward author Ronald Gard details the nuance of the makers’ progression to this “Classic Mallard Drake.” “This wonderful decoy,” he states, “has all the ingredients of a 1936 classic but seems to be a slightly more proportioned bird…the Wards have moved the design up one notch.” This lot features Steve’s excellent carving with a phenomenal turned head, sleek body, and thin rounded tail at an upward angle. The carving was finished with Lem’s excellent brushwork.
  
  The underside of this bird was painted with a red “Cavanaugh Motors” English-Setter-logo stencil on a white background. Some of the white bottom paint has been removed from the edges of the bottom. Cavanaugh Motors Inc. was a long-standing car dealership in Salisbury, Maryland, home of the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. Legendary Southern collector and historian William H. Purnell Jr. recalls his father purchasing Cadillac cars from Cavanaugh.
  
  Along with the McCleery Collection example, this decoy is among the Ward brothers' best mallard decoys.
  Excellent original paint with light wear, including several small rubs below right speculum.
  
  Provenance: Alan Haid Collection Private Collection, Ohio, acquired from the above
  
  Literature: Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, "The Ward Brothers' Decoys: A Collector's Guide," Plano, TX, 1989, pl. 74-75 and photo 50, related examples illustrated and discussed.

  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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