Verity Family Black Bellied Plover

Obediah Verity (1813-1901) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 10 in. long

A classic Seaford decoy with a plump body adorned with Verity’s best stippled paint detail. The species’ moniker “beetlehead” is on display with this carving and its flared crown. The form, paint, and condition place this among the best Verity plover. Original paint with light gunning wear, typical working touch-up to breast.

Provenance: Private Collection, Texas Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above

Literature: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 8, exact decoy illustrated. The Ward Museum, "The Decoys of Long Island," Salisbury, MD, 2010, p. 31, related example illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, p. 43, related examples illustrated. William J. Mackey Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 102, pl. 85, related decoys illustrated.

Provenance

Private Collection, Texas Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above