William Folger Hollow Eskimo Curlew

William Folger (1820-1895) Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 A hollow tack-eye shorebird decoy with incised wing definition and a split tail carving.

In the early 1800s Nantucket Island was a stop-over for the seasonal migration of Eskimo curlew. The birds were so numerous that early gunners, with primitive black powder firearms, routinely brought down several with a single shot. Later in that century when the number of birds drastically declined, most hunters assumed their flight path had changed with the immense flocks veering further out to sea. The plump Eskimo curlew had been referred to as the “dough bird,” a staple of a coastal New Englander’s spring and fall diet.

This decoy originated from the famous Folger rig which consisted of one dozen Eskimo curlew decoys. This rig is considered to be the most important of the species known to exist in addition to being an iconic part of Nantucket’s folk art history. As a testament to the craftsmanship of this hollow two-piece decoy, the body seam shows no separation. Outstanding original paint with light gunning wear.

Provenance: Franklin Folger (1842-1923) Collection (son of William) Franklin Folger Webster, by descent in the family Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection

Literature: Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky. The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, p. 13, rigmate illustrated. James Reginato, "Folk Art's Old Guard," Town & Country Magazine, January 1990, p. 161

Provenance

Franklin Folger (1842-1923) Collection (son of William) Franklin Folger Webster, by descent in the family Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection