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THBThe Mackey-Williams Pinch-Breast Pintail Hen Decoy by The Ward Brothers
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 23, 2024
Lots 1-238 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (238)
- Lot Description
The Mackey-Williams Pinch-Breast Pintail Hen
The Ward Brothers
Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976)
Crisfield, MD, c. 1932
17 3/4 in. long*Lot 16 is just the hen, the description discusses lots 15 and 16
The Mackey-Williams “White Mallard” Pinch-Breast Pintails
Andy Williams (1927-2012) is known around the world as one of the most popular singers and personalities of the 20th century, with a stack of gold records, including hits “Moon River” and the Christmas staple “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.” Over sixty years after he recorded this holiday classic, it still appears annually on Billboard’s top 10. Beyond his legendary performer status, Williams is known for his collecting prowess among the Americana, decoy, and folk art communities. A friendship with the Kennedy family of Hyannis brought the star into the flowering decoy scene on Cape Cod in the 1970s where he was a serious participant in the William J. Mackey Collection auctions held by Richard A. Bourne (1927-2016).
Williams procured Mackey’s iconic White Mallard Club rig pintail pair, which was the top decoy lot in Bourne’s October 1974 auction.
Twelve years later, Williams consigned this pair back to Bourne’s auction and the duo was the front-cover feature of the August 1986 catalog. The sale was held in Monterey, California, in conjunction with the 5th Annual West Coast Decoy Collectors Show and the results were covered by The San Francisco Chronicle. The winning bidder not only set a world record for the Wards, but also received a congratulatory signed copy of the “Chronicle” article from the singer.
Over thirty years later, in 2018, another pair of White Mallard Club rigmate pintails from the Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection set the current world record for any Ward lot at auction.
The White Mallard Club decoys were hunted and well preserved on the freshwater marshes of the Butte Sink in California’s Sacramento Valley. Ward authorities Gard and McGrath chose this Mackey-Williams pair for their 1989 book where they state, “The design is considered the best in Ward pintails…” and further note that “the pintail was Lem Ward’s favorite bird and he shows this preference in the painting of his pintails.” Indeed, the lively and textured stippling on the sides and back of the drake is as good as seen on any decoy and the hen has excellent feather detail. The authors point out that “These decoys were originally bought from Abercrombie and Fitch,” which helps to explain not only their refinement, but also their transcontinental journey from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to the Golden State.
This rare and distinctive style is associated with the 1932 model-year, and is named for an eponymous feature of Steve Ward’s articulated form. These birds display all of the qualities that have placed this historic rig at the apex of the Wards’ vast portfolio. Some highlights include the sharp ridge running from the tip of the long tail to the hump in the back, and the high head with a thin neck and pronounced crown. The Wards made several variations of the pinch-breast model, of which the White Mallard rig birds are in a class of their own. One of the subtle distinctions of this premier rig is the horseshoe- shaped weight which can be seen on the undersides of the pair.
Ronald J. Gard arrived on the decoy collecting scene forty-three years ago and was one Dr. James McCleery’s closest friends. He quickly rose to become the world’s leading Ward authority. His 1989 book The Ward Brothers’ Decoys, is the most important publication on their decoys to date. The pintails offered in this auction have resided as the centerpiece of his waterfowl collection for thirty-seven years. The pair was William J. Mackey Jr.’s “pick of the litter,” Copley is honored to offer these birds at auction for the first time in nearly four decades.
Pinch-breast pintails in original paint from the White Mallard rig are exceedingly rare, especially the hens, of which perhaps only three have been accounted for. Given their quality, Mackey-Williams-Gard provenance, rig history, rarity, and excellent condition, there are no Ward decoys more celebrated than the drake and hen offered here as lots 15 and 16.
“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: Nature, History, and Art”
Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, including rub to tail tip. Touch-up to crack in neck and to reset bill with minor chew.
Provenance: White Mallard Club, Butte Sink, California
William J. Mackey Collection
Andy Williams Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1974
Ronald J. Gard Collection, acquired from the sale of the above, 1986
Literature: Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Rare American Decoys & Ornamental Bird Carvings, Hyannis, MA, October 19, 1974, lot 191, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.
Richard A. Bourne Co. Inc., Rare American Decoys & Bird Carvings, Monterey, CA, August 1986, cover and lot 39, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.
Jim Freeman, “Auction- Two Decoys Bring Down $45,000,” The San Francisco Chronicle, August 25, 1986, pp. 67 and 70, exact decoy and rigmate referenced in headline, discussed, and illustrated.
Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, Ward Brothers’ Decoys: A Collector’s Guide, Wolf City, TX, 1989, pp. 57-63, exact decoy and rigmate illustrated.
Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Donal C. O’Brien Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III, Plymouth, MA, July 19, 2018, lot 33, Donal O’Brien’s White Mallard rigmate pintail pair 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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Shipping info
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