Joseph Lincoln Early Black Duck

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1910 22 in. long

A special-order black duck made for a special patron. This decoy approaches Lincoln’s typical twenty-five-inch-long goose pattern in size. In addition to the bird’s grand scale, it also displays scalloped speculum paint, a sharp flared bill, and sculpted shoulder carving. Attesting to the rarity of this unrigged, near-mint example, Cap Vinal illustrates and features a related “EARLY ROUND HIGH HEAD-TACK EYES-NOTCHED BILL TIP-SCULPTURED WING SEPARATION-PARTIAL REPAINT” model in his book on the maker.

“Lincoln was a laconic man, a consummate Yankee craftsman whose solid-bodied decoys are reflections of their maker’s personality—direct and spare, with not a gesture wasted. Their clean, crisp lines and reductively abstract paint patterns capture the essentials of each species’ form and plumage with remarkable integrity and economy of means.” - Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America Excellent original paint with minimal wear, typical Lincoln check in the bottom.

Provenance: Chester F. Spear Rig, acquired from the maker By descent in the Spear Family

Literature: Cap Vinal, "Joseph W. Lincoln," Rockland, MA, 2002, p. 29, related decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Chester F. Spear Rig, acquired from the maker By descent in the Spear Family