George Boyd The Mccleery Boyd Merganser Drake

George Boyd (1873-1941) Seabrook, NH, c. 1910 18 ¾ in. long

“I had the good fortune of visiting with Jim McCleery on several occasions in his home in Texas. He was one of the most noble gentlemen I have ever met and he was a consummate host! I remember our visits as lively affairs that included conversations with his pet parrot, checking out his tortoise in the backyard, and preparing Mexican dinner feasts in the kitchen. Conversations after dinner eventually came back to shorebirds and waterfowl and I was amazed at Jim’s knowledge of all things bird related and how he viewed decoy collecting.

"He was a great teacher, and at all times a student. Nuances of decoys and their makers came second nature to Jim and he would often pick up two birds and reveal how the two related. His take was different from any other collector I have ever met. I believe Jim viewed decoy collecting as a giant puzzle, and he was a master at connecting its pieces.

"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.

The McCleery red-breasted merganser pair represents two of the most refined carvings to come out of New England. They literally sit head and shoulders above all other Boyd merganser examples with their uplifted heads, broad shoulders, and wide and sophisticated paddle tails.

The delicately carved head is turned to the left approximately thirty degrees with a forward-reaching and uplifted posture. The surface features both concise paint patterns and the artist’s finest stippled paint along the sides. True to the sex, Boyd used red glass eyes for this drake, contrasting the amber eyes of the hen. The pencil-thin upturned bill features nail carving and a mortise-and-tenon fit hardwood bill, identical in construction to the maker’s shorebirds.

The bottom retains the “McCLEERY” ink stamp. Outstanding original paint with light, even gunning wear and a tight age line along the bottom.

Provenance: Dale and Gary Guyette Collection Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Private Collection Thomas M. Evans Jr. Collection

Literature: Sotheby's and Guyette & Schmidt, "American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery," New York, NY, 2000, lot 149, exact decoy illustrated. Ronald J. Gard and Robert Shaw, eds., "The McCleery Auction," Dallas, TX, 2001, p. 175, exact decoy 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, exact decoy illustrated. Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2018, p. 279, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Dale and Gary Guyette Collection Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Private Collection Thomas M. Evans Jr. Collection