PLYMOUTH, MASS. — Steve O’Brien’s Copley Fine Art Auctions got Decoy Week off to a strong start July 25. Carvings by Elmer Crowell led the sale with a very fine preening black duck finishing at $210,000.  The auction totaled $1.6 million.

The decoy was an early, premark example with excellent form and paint. There were several miniatures by Crowell also in the sale and nearly all exceeded their high estimates. A miniature preening pintail drake by Crowell may have set a new world auction record for miniature waterfowl, bringing $28,800. The sale was well attended and there was strong competition from phone and internet bidders.

A complete report on this auction will appear in a future edition.