William Folger Golden Plover

William Folger (1820-1895) Nantucket, MA, c. 1850 A hollow shorebird decoy with incised wing definition and split-tail carving.

In the early 1800s Nantucket Island was a stop-over for the seasonal migration of golden plover. The birds were so numerous that early gunners, with primitive black powder firearms, routinely brought down several with a single shot. Later in that century when the number of birds drastically declined, most hunters assumed their flight path had changed with the immense flocks veering further out to sea. These plover were a staple of a coastal New Englander’s spring and fall diet.

This decoy originated from the famous Folger rig which consisted of Eskimo curlew and plover decoys. This rig is considered to be the most important group of decoys to have been carved on the island and are an important part of Nantucket’s folk art history. As a testament to the fine craftsmanship of this hollow two-piece decoy, the body seam shows no separation. Original paint with light gunning wear, original wooden bill has flaking at base, and one eye may be an old replacement.

Provenance: William Folger Rig Franklin Folger (1842-1923) Collection, by descent in the family Franklin Folger Webster, by descent in the family Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the above c. 1968 Private Collection

Literature: Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky. The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, p. 13, rigmate illustrated. James Reginato, "Folk Art's Old Guard," Town & Country, January 1990, p. 161, rig illustrated.

Provenance

William Folger Rig Franklin Folger (1842-1923) Collection, by descent in the family Franklin Folger Webster, by descent in the family Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the above c. 1968 Private Collection