Turned-Head Black Duck Decoy, Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974)

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The Sporting Sale 2019

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 25, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-07-25 10:00:00 2019-07-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2019 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2019-4227
July 25 at 10 am | 550 lots Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974)
  Danbury, CT, c. 1941
  17 1/4 in. long
  
  The maker’s refined head carving, dynamic poses, and exceptional scratch and feather paint place him in the ranks of Stratford’s finest carvers, alongside Shang Wheeler. This black duck, with its turned head and exquisite paint, reveals Rathmell at the height of his abilities.
  
  In the 1960s, O’Brien acquired eleven of these cork black ducks, including this decoy, from the rig of fellow Connecticut hunter and carver Louis Rathmell. O’Brien remarked, “His decoys are difficult to distinguish from Shang Wheeler’s when both were at their best. He won several contests from 1939- 1943, beating Wheeler and other top makers. He made one exquisite rig of shooting decoys, black ducks, all with different head positions.” O’Brien traded away seven of his other Rathmells to other top collectors, including Lloyd Griffith, George Starr, and George Thompson. This decoy is signed "L. C. Rathmell" by the maker in his impressed lead weight. A “G. W. T.” collection stamp, indicating the George Thompson Collection, is also on the bottom.
  
  "...one of the best gunning rigs ever made." -Dixon Merkt
  
  Excellent original paint with even gunning wear, minor tail-chip restoration.
  
  Provenance: Louis Rathmell Rig
  Donal C. O'Brien Jr. Collection, acquired from the maker circa 1962
  George W. Thompson Collection, acquired from the above
  Herb Wetanson Collection
  
  Literature: Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys: Wildfowl Carvers and Collectors News, Spanish Fork, UT, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 36, rigmate illustrated.
  Decoys Unlimited Auctions, "A Sale of Rare and Important Decoys and Related Artifacts," July 23, 1990, lot 111, exact decoy illustrated.
  Guyette and Schmidt, "Important Auction of Rare Waterfowl Decoys from the Collection of John Hillman, April 25 & 26, 1996," West Farmington, ME, 1996, p. 139, lot 567, exact decoy illustrated.
  Copley Fine Art Auction, "The Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions III," July, 2018, lot 41, rigmate 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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