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THBThe Kinnaman Willet Decoy
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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About Auction
LiveFeb 19, 2021
Lots 1-292 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (292)
- Lot Description
Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) Shinnecock, NY
or William "Bill" Bowman (1824-1906) of Bangor, ME, and Lawrence, NY, c. 1900
11 3/4 in. long
In 1971 Milton Weiler's Classic Shorebird Decoys portfolio was published with text by William J. Mackey Jr. Across from Weiler's Plate No. 3, illustrating related shorebirds, Mackey writes, "hand [the maker's] decoys have the feel of real birds. His knowledge and study of the live bird and his skill with a knife transferred the feel of the wishbone, the unfolded wings and the modeling of the bone structure to blocks of wood. His was a unique talent not given to any other decoy maker." Mackey also states, "Nothing finer has been found ever since."
This is the finest example of this willet model to have surfaced by the maker. Better than any of the other known examples, it has retained its lively plumage which is represented with unsurpassed effect and efficiency. The form is one of the maker's most elaborate, with its bold body and exceptionally refined wing carving. This form relates closely to the Bunn plover, which once set the world record for any decoy at auction, and the McCleery curlew, which holds the record for the maker at auction. At over eleven inches, the diameter of the body nearly reaches the grand form's length.
"The shorebirds are ˜sui generis'" writes historian and curator Bob Shaw, "carved to suggest nuances of body forms and underlying bone and muscle that no other carver even attempted." Regarding his best works, Shaw states, "[They] transcend the decoy genre to rank among the finest bird portraits created by an American artist."
Excellent original paint with even gunning wear, one wing tip is reset and both have some chipping at the tips, some typical paint flaking on bill.
Provenance: Robert Kinnaman Collection
Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection
Literature: Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, pp. 180-181, related examples illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, back cover and pp. 36-37, related examples illustrated. The Decoy Hunter, Clinton, IA, March-April 1982, front cover, related example illustrated. Milton C. Weiler and William J. Mackey, Jr., "Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings," New York, NY, 1971, pl. 3, quote. Timothy Sieger, "The Decoys of Long Island," Water Mills, NY, 2010, front dust-jacket cover, frontispiece, and pp. 38-39, related curlew and willet illustrated.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.Condition
- Shipping Info
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Please be aware that internet bidders may NOT not pick up their items at the sale. Items will be available for pick up by appointment or by shippers five days after the sale.
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