George Boyd Red-breasted Merganser Hen

George Boyd (1873-1941) Seabrook, NH, c. 1910 "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 gentleman 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 back yard, 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 notched neck 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.

(****Place the above quote above the main description or maybe on the flap )

This rigmate pair of “paddle-tail” red-breasted mergansers represents one of the finest pairs of North American decoys ever to be offered, and two of the most refined carvings to come out of New England.

This bold and racy decoy features a long, wide body with a broad paddle tale. The delicately carved head is turned to the left approximately 30 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 and across the back. True to the species, Boyd used amber glass eyes for this hen. The pencil-thin upturned bill is tipped with nail carving. The underside of the hen is partly hollowed out from the bottom and retains the “McCLEERY” ink stamp. From tip to tail the bird measures almost nineteen inches.

As a testament to Dr. McCleery’s opinion of this bird, 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). This sentiment was echoed in the McCleery Auction flier where the Boyd Mergansers were the most prominently featured birds after the Crowell goose. Outstanding original paint with light even gunning wear, a tight age crack along the bottom and anchor line wraps around the neck.

Provenance: Dr. George and Hope Wick Collection Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Private Collection

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, 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.

Provenance

Dr. George and Hope Wick Collection Dr. James M. McCleery Collection Private Collection