George Boyd Important Merganser Hen

George H. Boyd (1873-1941) Seabrook, NH, c. 1910 19 in. long

"Jim reserved special spots on his shelves, fireplace, and walls for his favorite birds. I remember the first time I saw the George Boyd Mergansers on display in his home. The turned-head hen swimmer graced Jim’s coffee table alongside the famous dovetailed goose and Crowell’s preening goose. Her presence was bold and animated; I was so enamored looking at those three birds, it was a half hour before I realized that Jim owned a matching drake!”

— Stephen O’Brien Jr.

This decoy is making its debut on the collecting market, as the second hen from this rig to be offered for sale. McCleery owned a record-setting pair from this rig, and a rigmate single drake sold in the Winter Sale 2015.

This racy decoy features a long, wide body with a broad paddle tail. The delicately carved head shows an uplifted posture. The surface features both concise paint patterns and the artist’s finest stippling. True to the sex, Boyd used amber glass eyes for this hen, contrasting with the red eyes of the two known drakes from this iconic rig. The pencil-thin upturned bill appears to be an early gunning replacement by Boyd, and it is tipped with subtle nail carving.

As a testament to Dr. McCleery’s opinion of his aforementioned hen, it held a special place resting atop the coffee table in his living room, alongside his preening Canada goose by A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) and dovetailed goose. This sentiment was echoed in the McCleery Auction flier, in which the Boyd mergansers were the most prominently featured birds after the Crowell goose. Original paint with even gunning wear, minor darkening to a few points of wear, end third of bill restored, and touch-up to age crack in lower left side.

Provenance: Private Collection, Massachusetts, by descent

Literature: Sotheby's and Guyette & Schmidt, "American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery," New York, NY, 2000, lot 150 and p. 228, McCleery examples illustrated. Ronald J. Gard and Robert Shaw, eds., "The McCleery Auction," Dallas, TX, 2001, p. 175, McCleery examples illustrated. Jim Cullen, "Finely Carved and Nicely Painted: The Life, Art and Decoys of George H. Boyd, Seabrook, NH, 1873-1941," Rye, NH, 2009, p. 36, McCleery examples illustrated. Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2018, p. 279, McCleery pair illustrated.

Provenance

Private Collection, Massachusetts, by descent