WEST BARNSTABLE, Mass. – It’s always duck season at the Massachusetts auction house Decoys Unlimited, but savvy collectors know that the company’s sales aren’t confined to any one type of feathered friend. The antique and vintage avians offered by Decoys Unlimited range from depictions of long-limbed shorebirds to miniature pheasant and finely detailed quail, often the creations of revered American carvers.
With Internet live bidding through www.LiveAuctioneers.com, Decoys Unlimited’s July 13-14 Spectacular Summer Decoy auction will showcase 596 examples of master carvings, shining the spotlight brightly on 19th-century birds. Leading the flock is a willet shorebird by John Thomas Wilson (Ipswich, Mass. 1863-1940). Decoys Unlimited writes in their catalog: “There are not enough superlatives to accurately capture the elegance, presence, and importance of this oversize feeding willet decoy… These skillfully crafted decoys were once thought to be ‘Fred Nichol’ shorebirds. We now feel that John Thomas Wilson skillfully made these decoys.”
Wilson emigrated with his wife to the United States sometime in the 1880s and began making decoys and guiding in the Ipswich marshes during that decade.
The shorebird in the July 13-14 sale exhibits wings carved in deep relief, with a wide rounded tail that extends over the tail split. It is expected to make $75,000-$100,000 on auction day.
Another key lot in the sale is the tucked-head swimming red-breasted merganser drake by A. E. Crowell. The fine original paint shows only the slightest light wear and one or two very small blemishes or dents on the body from use. The decoy comes with provenance from the Lagerman and Jennison collections. As history records it, when acquired by Lagerman in 1974, the seller, Marshall Jennison, remarked: “This is my thousand-dollar decoy.” It is entered in Decoys Unlimited’s sale with a $25,000-$35,000 presale estimate.
A Mason factory snipe decoy from around 1898, in dry, untouched original condition, is said to be one of only three in existence. It is believed to have been made from the same rig as the example pictured in color on page 110 in Mason Decoys by Goldberger and Haid. The caption reads: “GLASSEYE SNIPE, ca. 1898. Wooden bill was inserted and carved as part of the head. Model used in 1905 Mason catalog.” The length is 10¾ inches from the tip of bill to the tail, and the bird is made in three parts: head and neck, body, and carved, inserted bill. Expectations indicate it could sell at auction for $20,000-$30,000.
Another Mason factory snipe is a highly desirable salesman’s sample of a robin, with glass eyes. Underneath the bird, it says “Mason Knot ca. 1890-1900” in ink and “Robin L. I.” in pencil. It features swirled painting on the back with scalloped wing feathers and a rosy breast. With extra-fine paint detail and an excellent patina, and provenance through the Mort Hanson collection, it carries a presale estimate of $20,000-$25,000.
An extremely rare merganser drake by John Thomas Wilson artfully captures the essence of this species’ elegance. It is one of only two known examples, the other being in the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., and formerly of the Nina Fletcher Little collection. It boasts a bold, imaginative paint pattern that collectors would find quite appealing. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000.
For questions on any lot in the sale, contact Decoys Unlimited at 508-362-2766. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet on auction day at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
