Lothrop Holmes Black Bellied Plover

Lothrop T. Holmes (1824-1899) Kingston, MA, c. 1860 10 3/4 in. long

Unlike many professional carvers who earned a living selling their decoys, Lothrop Holmes, of Kingston, Massachusetts, only carved decoys for his own rig, which he used along the marshes of the Jones River and Duxbury Bay. Lothrop Turner Holmes is one of the earliest documented shorebird makers from any region and is widely known to be one of the very top decoy makers of the 19th century.

This sophisticated decoy features everything that astute collectors look for in a Massachusetts shorebird decoy, including exceptional form, spectacular blended feather paint, split-tail carving, and stellar condition.

This plover and one other are believed to be the only known survivors from this important rig that features the maker's tremendous wing and feather paint. Original paint with light gunning wear and a replaced bill.

Provenance: William C. McMaster M.D. Collection

Literature: John M. Levinson and Somers G. Headley, "Shorebirds: The Birds, The Hunters, The Decoys," Centreville, MD, 1991, p. 57, rigmate illustrated. Gwladys Hopkins, "Massachusetts Masterpieces," Lincoln, MA, 2016, pp. 13 and 44, related plover illustrated.

Provenance

William C. McMaster M.D. Collection