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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 12, 2015 - Feb 13, 2015
Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (564)
- Lot Description
Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) Shinnecock, NY or William "Bill" Bowman (1824-1906) of Bangor, ME and Lawrence, NY
c. 1900
Bunn/Bowman willet are far less common than the maker’s dowitchers or yellowlegs. Collectors have come to differentiate the maker’s willet in part by their plump round bellies.This classic Long Island shorebird decoy exhibits the maker's graceful lines with raised wings and carved primaries. The maker's signature black bead glass eyes are set within recessed eye grooves above the fully rounded cheeks. A rigmate to this bird is illustrated in Fleckenstein's "Shore Bird Decoys" book. A nearly identical rigmate is illustrated and identified as a willet in Colio's book "American Decoys."
William J. Mackey, Jr., one of the most prolific decoy collectors of all time, wrote of the maker of these birds, “Their origin is not definitely known, but the carver created a replica of the live bird as well as any decoy maker of record.”
Provenance: Bud Ward CollectionPrivate Collection
Literature: William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 103, plate 87 caption.Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., "Shore Bird Decoys," Exton, PA, 1980, p. 41, fig. 44 and p. 63, plate XXXIII, similar decoy illustrated.
Quintina Colio, "American Decoys," Ephrata, PA, 1972, pp. 68-69, nearly identical decoys illustrated.
Richard E. Cohen and Brandy S. Culp, "Preserving the Art of the Decoy," Charleston, SC, 2012, p. 61, similar decoy illustrated.
Timothy Sieger, "The Decoys of Long Island," Water Mills, NY, 2010, p. 41, similar example illustrated.
Guyette and Schmidt, "North American Decoys at Auction," July 2004, back cover, related example illustrated.
Condition
Condition: Original paint with light gunning wear, age line in breast, and touch-up where bill meets face and on lower back. Hairline crack in original bill, typical restoration and touch-up to wing tips.
- Shipping Info
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Shipping info
Copley Fine Art Auctions does not handle the shipping of any items. Shipping is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Once your payment has cleared, and we have received your authorized shipping release form items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.PLEASE BE AWARE THAT INTERNET BIDDERS MAY NOT PICK UP THEIR ITEMS AT THE SALE SITE. ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP BY APPOINTMENT OR SHIPPED STARTING FIVE DAYS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE SALE
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