Yellowlegs

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The Winter Sale

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 17, 2017 - Feb 18, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-02-17 11:00:00 2017-02-18 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2109
Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  Yellowlegs
  Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) Shinnecock Reservation, NY or William "Bill" Bowman (1824-1906) of Bangor, ME and Lawrence, NY, c. 1900
  11 3/4 in. long
  The Herrick-Ward yellowlegs is one of the finest Bunn/Bowman decoys held in private hands. The majority of the birds from this famous Herrick Collection reside at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook.
  This exemplary shorebird is notable for its superb from, impeccably painted surface, and original bill and wing tips.
  Chronicled in at least two major decoy books, Shore Bird Decoys by Fleckenstein and Johnsgard's The Bird Decoy, few Bunn/Bowman yellowlegs match this bird's stature. This decoy was also exhibited at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1975. This monumental exhibition featured over 300 decoys from many of the era's top collections.
  Elegant features of this decoy sculpture include an inserted bill, eye grooves, glass eyes, and pronounced shoulder, wing, and tail carving. The paint is near perfect with a dry surface.
  Decoy historian and author Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. illustrated this decoy twice and stated, "This bird is made in the nestled head position exemplifying Bowman's finest work. His fantastic brushwork clearly illustrates that here was a man that was a true artist making decoys rather than just a decoy maker that had an artistic bent."
  Johnsgard features this exact bird on the same page as Dr. George Ross Starr's famous Crowell yellowlegs. In his comments he designated legendary dealer Bud Ward as the lender who obtained the decoy directly from H. H. Herrick, of Lawrence Long Island. This is one of the very few documented Bunn/Bowmans out of the famous Herrick rig to be held in private hands.
  Copley is pleased to bring to light this decoy's important provenance which appears to have remained unpublished since Johnsgard's book over 40 years ago.
  "The carver created a replica of the live bird as well as any decoy maker of record." -William J. Mackey, Jr.
  Outstanding original paint with gunning wear, minimal touch-up to reset neck and spot on top of head, wing tip reset, rare original bill.
  PROVENANCE: Harold Herrick, Jr. Rig
  Bud Ward, acquired from the above Grant Nelson Collection
  LITERATURE: Paul A. Johnsgard, The Bird Decoy: An American Art Form, Lincoln, NE, 1976, p. 161, exact decoy illustrated. Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, pp. 67 and 84, plates XXXIX and 87, exact decoy illustrated.
  Sotheby's and Guyette and Schmidt, American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery, New York, NY, 2000, p. 103, lot 217, similar decoy illustrated.
  Guyette and Schmidt, North American Decoys at Auction, Farmington, ME, April 2004, lot 596, exact decoy illustrated.
  E. Jane Townsend, Gunners Paradise, Stony Brook, NY, 1979, p. 128, plate 219, similar 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.
• Shipping Info

  • Shipping info

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• Buyer's Premium

  • Hammer Price	Premium (%)
    $0	20.00
    $1,000,000	15.00