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Elmer Crowell Pair of Over-Sized Mallard Decoys, circa 1920, with oval brands

About the Item

Antique Pair of Special Order Over-Sized Mallard Decoys, by J. Elmer Crowell (East Harwich: 1862 - 1952), circa 1920, a working pair of rigmate Crowell decoys in good original paint with beautiful ghost feathering and expected wear, strong sculptural form with turned heads, signed on bottoms via his early oval brands. Each bird retains an old Guyette sticker. These very large gunning birds were special ordered for use in rough open water. This a commanding pair of decoys whose brilliant paint. attitude and size make for a show stopper display. Drake measures: 7-1/2 in H x 18-3/4 in L x 6-3/4 in W Hen measures: 7 in H x 17-1/4 in L x 7 in W A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) of East Harwich, Massachusetts, is known as one of the greatest decoy makers and bird carvers of all time. The lifelike quality of his three-dimensional portrayals of American wildfowl is unsurpassed. He acquired his intimate understanding of avian anatomy and plumage patterns over the course of a lifetime spent observing and hunting Cape Cod’s abundant indigenous and migratory bird populations. Before establishing his carving studio in 1912, he worked as a hunting guide, camp manager, market gunner, cranberry farmer, and exterminator. Crowell was inspired to start his studio by the passage of the latest in a series of federal and state hunting laws aimed at bird conservation. He decided to focus fulltime on making decoys and decorative bird “models” for sale. Although Crowell had carved decoys for his own use since he was a teenager, and later for a “who’s who” of well-to-do patrons, he found a new market for his decoys and ornamental bird carvings in collectors and tourists who appreciated them as exquisite works of art (from the Shelburne Museum).
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Width: 18.75 in (47.63 cm)Depth: 7 in (17.78 cm)
  • Style:
    Folk Art (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1920
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Nantucket, MA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: Ad - 280-18 AWHE1stDibs: LU903944235602

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