The McCleery Bunn/Bowman Golden Plover
Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) Shinnecock Reservation, NY or William "Bill" Bowman (1824-1906) of Bangor, ME and Lawrence, NY, c. 1900
This is one of the finest plover decoys known. Golden plover in original paint by this maker are exceedingly rare. The underside retains the McCleery Collection stamp. "His was a unique talent not given to any other decoy maker." - William J. Mackey, Jr.
Original paint with light gunning wear and original bill.
PROVENANCE: James M. McCleery, M.D. Collection
Grant Nelson Collection
LITERATURE: obert Shaw, Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D., Houston, TX, 1992, back cover and pp. 36-37, exact decoy illustrated (cataloged as black-bellied).
Sotheby's and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, 2000, p. 100, lot 208, exact decoy illustrated (cataloged as black-bellied).
Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America, New York, NY, 2010, p. 180, exact decoy illustrated (cataloged as black-bellied).
E. Jane Townsend, Gunners Paradise, Stony Brook, NY, 1979, p. 114, plate 186, related example illustrated.
Gene and Linda Kangas, Decoys, Paducah, KY, 1992, p. 307, exact decoy illustrated.
Condition
Condition report requests can be made via email or by telephone (info@copleyart.com or 617.536.0030). 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.