Elmer Crowell Outstanding Running Yellowlegs

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1915 13 1/4 in. long

This early and important carving is featured in The Songless Aviary. The caption states that “the running Yellowlegs was often used as a decoy position, but is not found as frequently as an ornamental. This particular example was a gift from Elmer Crowell to his good friend and fellow carver Fred Gardner of Accord.”

This one-hundred-year-old mantel bird represents the earliest and finest in decorative American bird carving. The wet-on-wet feather paint on the breast and below the wing edges reveals the master at his best. The yellowlegs strides atop an exceptionally well-carved clam shell base, which the accomplished maker marked on the underside with his crisp oval brand. In addition to being illustrated in The Songless Aviary, this carving is also slated for inclusion in the upcoming book Elmer Crowell: The Father of American Bird Carving. Original paint with light wear, minor touch-up to each wing, and one-and-three-quarter-inch bill repair.

Provenance: Alfred Gardner, Accord, Massachusetts, gifted from the artist Private Collection, Cape Cod

Literature: Brian Cullity, "The Songless Aviary: The World of A. E. Crowell & Son," Hyannis, MA, 1992, p. 77, exact carving illustrated.

Provenance

Alfred Gardner, Accord, Massachusetts, gifted from the artist Private Collection, Cape Cod