John Dilley Golden Plover

John Dilley Quogue, NY, c. 1890 A full-bodied golden plover in non-breeding plumage with deep S-shaped wing carving that sweeps back to resolve under the tail. When referring to Dilley shorebirds in his book, "American Bird Decoys," Mackey writes, “there is no question that the detailed, stylized painting is unsurpassed. They are beautiful examples from the hand of a fastidious workman.” Starting with clean lines and solid form, John Dilley applied some of the finest representations of plumage ever recorded. Using a two-tiered paint technique, he was able to imply detail without carving or painting every feather. Original paint with even gunning wear, an in-use repair to the bill, and professional touch-up along the right wing edge and to approximately one-and-one-half-inch-area around the stick hole.

Provenance: Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection

Literature: Adele Earnest, "The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings," West Chester, PA, 1965, p. 60, Fig. 41, similar example illustrated. William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, color plate IV, similar example illustrated.

Provenance

Dr. Morton D. Kramer Collection