A. ELMER CROWELL (1862-1952), EAST HARWICH, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1935

Details

TWO DECORATIVE LESSER YELLOWLEGS
A. ELMER CROWELL (1862-1952), EAST HARWICH, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1935
so-called "wing up" models; mounted on wooden bases each of which bears Crowell's rectangular stamp; Mackey Collection stamped on underside of each
7 in. long (each)

Provenance

William J. Mackey, Jr., Belford, New Jersey
Sold, Richard A. Bourne Co., Hyannis, Massachusetts, 21 August 1973, lot 285 (see Decoy Index for original cataloguing)
Donal C. O'Brien, Jr., New Canaan, Connecticut, 1976

Literature

J. Barnitz et al., The David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection: Art of the Western Hemisphere, New York, 1988, vol. II, p. 304, no. 193 (illustrated in color, p. 304).

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Lot Essay

With delicate raised wings and finely detailed paint, the present Yellowlegs are wonderful examples of Crowell's decorative decoys. It is unusual to have a compiled pair of two decorative yellowlegs, making this example very rare. These two were likely made at the same time and may have been commissioned as a pair. When displayed side by side, the raised wings of these beautiful birds create a wonderful symmetry which further solidifies the likelihood that these birds were made to be displayed together. Both bear Crowell's rectangular stamp, which he used from circa 1927 until his death in 1952.

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