Ward Brothers Early Humpback Black Duck

The Ward Brothers Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976) Crisfield, MD, 1921 17 in. long

“Stephen W. Ward (1895-1976) and his brother Lemuel Travis Ward (1896-1984) of Crisfield, Maryland were by far the most prominent Chesapeake Bay carvers of the twentieth century and among the greatest and most influential bird carvers of all time. The brothers worked closely together throughout their lives, combining the complementary talents of Steve’s hand carving and Lem’s brushwork to create works of extraordinary grace and realism.” -— Robert Shaw, “Bird Decoys of North America: Nature, History, and Art” Decoy author and historian Henry Fleckenstein stated, “When one thinks of Crisfield decoys, flat bottomed birds, wide at the hips and narrow breasted, come to mind. Almost all were made solid and slightly oversized, because a lot of the hunting in the Tangier Sound area is done on big open water.” This early low-head black duck is the manifestation of Fleckenstein's brief summary. That said, this decoy pushed far beyond the Crisfield archetype.

The brothers, just in their mid-twenties at the time, demonstrate here how they would innovate with exaggeration and animation all while raising the quality standards of the region. This specific model with its extreme humped back, flared paddle tail, and very low and turned head with an expressive upswept bill, is distinct from any models known to predate it. The surface is finished with Lem’s confident scratch feather paint. The underside is signed in pen “Lem Ward -1921-.”

Very few of this celebrated model were made as the Wards evolved their patterns constantly in the decades to come. Fewer of these humpbacked black ducks survive today and only a very small number with good original paint have come to light.

One of this decoy’s only comparables set a world record in 1985 for any Ward decoy when it was purchased by a prominent Midwestern collector. Discussing that bird in his Ward book, Ron Gard conveys, "This exquisite black duck is one of the best Ward decoys known." This lot, along with the aforementioned decoy, are believed to be the finest early Crisfield black ducks. The rarity, surface, condition, and history of this sculpture place it among the region’s greatest waterfowl. Original paint with light gunning wear, including a chip to right tip of bill, and a tight age line by neck seam.

Provenance: Larry Lambert Collection Ronald Gard Collection Kangas Collection of International Folk Art and Decoys

Literature: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., "Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region," Exton, PA, 1979, p. 176, exact decoy illustrated. Ronald J. Gard and Brian J. McGrath, "The Ward Brothers' Decoys: A Collector's Guide," Plano, TX, 1989, pp. 72 and 77, related decoys illustrated. Joe Engers, ed., "The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys," Lewes, DE, 1990, p. 314, exact decoy listed. Linda and Gene Kangas, "Decoys," Paducah, KY, 1992, p. 114, pl. 166, related example illustrated.

Provenance

Larry Lambert Collection Ronald Gard Collection Kangas Collection of International Folk Art and Decoys