Lot 1046
1046
WHISTLING SWAN
On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial int… Read more
WHISTLING SWAN

JOHN HAYNES WILLIAMS (1857-1937), CEDAR ISLAND, VIRGINIA, CIRCA 1910

Details
WHISTLING SWAN
JOHN HAYNES WILLIAMS (1857-1937), CEDAR ISLAND, VIRGINIA, CIRCA 1910
Mackey Collection stamped on underside
25 in. long
Provenance
William J. Mackey, Jr., Belford, New Jersey
Sold, Richard A. Bourne Co., Hyannis, Massachusetts, 21 August 1973, lot 201 (see Decoy Index for original cataloguing)
Literature
W.J. Mackey, Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, 1965, pp. 170-72, pl. 141.
Q. Colio, American Decoys, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, 1972, p. 45.
J. Barnitz et al., The David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection: Art of the Western Hemisphere, New York, 1988, vol. II, p. 299, no. 186 (illustrated in color, p. 299).
Exhibited
New York, New York, IBM Gallery of Arts and Sciences, Collection of William J. Mackey, Jr. of Belford, New Jersey, 29 August - 1 October 1966.
Special notice

On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial interest in the outcome of the sale of certain lots consigned for sale. This will usually be where it has guaranteed to the Seller that whatever the outcome of the auction, the Seller will receive a minimum sale price for the work. This is known as a minimum price guarantee. This is a lot where Christie’s holds a direct financial guarantee interest.

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Lot Essay

Old working swans are extremely rare. This swan by one of this country's premier makers has a rich and colorful history. Williams was considered a specialist in swan decoys, each of his birds created with a different pose to mimic the the movement of an actual flock of swans. With its long neck held high, this decoy is a true work of art capturing the grace and poise of the swan. Donal C. O'Brien, Jr., decoy collector, carver and advisor to the Rockefellers, felt that this swan was the rarest decoy in the collection.
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