The star lot of the sale, realizing $222,000, was this pair of dowitchers made by Rhode Island hunting and fishing companions Newton Dexter and Clarence Gardner. They were made about 1885 and were once part of the legendary McCleery collection.
By Rick Russack
PEMBROKE, MASS. — No question — Copley Fine Art Auctions’ February 21-22 sale was one homerun after another, with several new records set. The sporting art on offer included works by some of the most desirable artists in the field — Aiden Lassell Ripley, Percival Rosseau, Edmund Henry Osthaus and others. Contemporary carvings included numerous works by Mark McNair, one of which set a new world record, and contemporary folk art carvings featured pieces by Frank Finney. Fishing collectibles encompassed items that had been used by Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway. Decoys included examples by Elmer Crowell, the Ward Brothers, Joe Lincoln, Charles Perdew and others. The 300-page, heavily illustrated catalog had information about the consignors as well as the carvers and details of each lot. With 95 percent of lots sold, the sale grossed more than $3 million, making just below the high estimate. Three lots earned six-figure prices and about 65 lots achieved five-figure prices.
Leading the sale was a pair of circa 1885 dowitcher decoys made by hunting and fishing companions, explorers and taxidermists Newton Dexter (1838-1901) and Clarence Gardner (1844-1907), which brought $222,000. These dowitchers had been in the collection of James M. McCleery, and the one with a turned head bore his collection stamp on its underside; the other had its head tucked. Both had carved raised wings and a dry original surface. The pair was well known to the collecting community, made in Rhode Island and featured in several publications. They were also exhibited several times. When the pair first came to auction in 1990, McCleary wrote to a friend, “Nothing short of bankruptcy will prevent my bidding on the Rhode Island pair.” Copley’s catalog devoted four pages to discussing Dexter and Gardner, their work and this pair of birds; the price paid for the pair set a record for the carvers.
The second-highest price of the sale, $108,000, was earned by this hooded merganser, made by Lloyd Tyler of Crisfield, Md.
The second-highest price of the sale, $108,000, was also earned by a decoy: a hooded merganser made by Crisfield, Md., carver Lloyd Tyler (1898-1970). The decoy first came to the attention of collectors when it was included in a Richard Bourne auction, though it has since appeared in several publications. Tyler was a neighbor of Lem and Steve Ward, who produced some of the most collectable decoys of the Chesapeake Bay region. Their work was represented in this sale by a pair of hollow widgeon decoys, which sold for $12,000, as well as a rare, life-sized egret. The widgeons were signed by both Lem (1896-1984) and his brother Steve (1895-1976). Their circa 1945 egret, which was cataloged as “possibly unique,” was 20 inches tall and earned $38,400.
Both days of the sale included a wide selection of decoys and contemporary carvings, and a world-record price was achieved by one — a hollow-carved, life-sized heron made about 2010 by Mark McNair, which realized $38,400, more than four times the estimate. McNair was born in 1950 and two of his sons are also carvers; one of them, Colin McNair, is Copley’s decoy specialist. The heron stood 57 inches tall and had a removable root head. Another Mark McNair heron, a couple of inches shorter, earned $15,600. Bidders also liked McNair’s detailed 50-inch-long whale, made circa 2010 and meant to be hung on a wall, which earned $24,000. There were more than 20 McNair carvings in the sale, and many of them exceeded estimates; one phone bidder, who has bought McNair carvings from Copley in the past, bought several.
After the auction, Colin McNair was asked about his father’s reaction to the sale. The senior McNair said, “The two herons meant something special to me when I made them about 20 years ago. They’ve aged beautifully and to see them treated with such high regard now is both thrilling and humbling. I can still remember when I had to sell birds at a show to get enough money to get gas for the drive home.” When new, they were sold by the Audubon Gallery in Charleston for $5,000-$6,000 each.
Top honors for sporting art went to “Over the Fence, and a Point,” a fresh-to-the-market 1919 oil by Percival Rosseau, which sold for $105,000.
Works by other contemporary carvers included about seven decoys by Steve Weaver. One was a life-sized kingfisher mounted on weathered branches; it sold for a record-breaking $15,000.
As usual, works by Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) drew strong, competitive bidding with two life-sized decorative bobwhite quails being the most sought after. Both were slightly over 8 inches tall on carved bases. One earned $72,000 and the other earned $66,000. Crowell’s wing-up yellowlegs, also on a carved base, went out for $30,000. A complete 25-piece set of his circa 1930 miniature waterfowl sold for $39,600. Crowell carved more than 180 different species of miniatures, and they are a story by themselves — Joe Ellis discussed them at length in his 2009 book, Birds in Wood and Paint.
The large selection of sporting art was led by “Over the Fence, and a Point,” a 1919 oil painting by Percival Rosseau (1859-1937). The scene depicted two English setters at work with the dog in the foreground alert and on point. Fresh to the market from a Minnesota family, it earned $105,000. It was one of several paintings of dogs, including another oil by Rousseau. “A Moment’s Rest — Foxhounds at the Ford” was signed, dated “1926” and sold for $49,200. It showed a dozen foxhounds taking a break and drinking from a stream while a mounted rider looked on in the background. Other canine paintings included two watercolors by Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928). One showed two setters at rest and brought $9,225; the other, a setter on point, brought $6,765.
Alex Chester, was quoted in the catalog: “I set a goal of acquiring a full collection of Ripley’s etchings and a few watercolors.” This sale included the second part of Chester’s collection of etchings by Aiden Lassell Ripley. The subject matter of the more than 20 etchings included hunting and fishing scenes as well as scenes of game birds in their natural habitats. This example, “Point on Quail,” sold for $1,845.
The sporting art selection included two bronzes by Walter Matia (b 1953). One, done in 2010, was 57 inches tall and depicted a mallard and a pintail in flight. It earned $30,000, a new record for the sculptor. Three oil on canvas paintings of ducks in flight, taking off from a pond, were painted by David A. Maass (b 1929) and sold between $18,000 and $19,200. Additionally, the first day of the sale included part two of a large collection of works by Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969), which was led, at $84,000, by the watercolor titled “Getting Ready.”
As Copley is working on diversifying its offerings, this sale included, for the first time, a 34 jewel stainless steel Patek Philipe Nautilus 5726/1A-010 men’s watch, which sold for $75,000. The watch could track and display the month, day of the week, date and moon phase and had a 24-hour dial. As the watch automatically considers months to have 30 or 31 days, it requires adjusting only once per year.
After the sale, McNair commented, “It was a really strong sale. We set a number of records, and we also brought attention to rarely-seen carvers like Dexter and Gardner. There were several customers new to us. That, I’m sure, is due to the social media and the outreach we’re doing with organizations like Ducks Unlimited. Getting these new buyers is a key to our success.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For additional information, 617-536-0030 or www.copleyart.com.
