Dave Umbrella Watson Hollow Canada Goose Pair

Dave "Umbrella" Watson (1851-1938) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1900 These are not only two of the very best Watson geese known to exist, but also the only matched pair to ever be offered publicly. They display bold over-sized form with pronounced cheek carving and raised wing tips. The sides exhibit Watson’s signature stippled paint pattern. Each bird retains two inset rectangular lead weights. A superb pair of museum quality Virginia gunning decoys. Both birds have even gunning wear with working touch-up to the black areas. The lower-headed of the two birds has a tight crack along the back, a tight crack along the bottom with working fill, a tight crack in the neck, and a hairline crack in the tail. The higher-headed of the two birds has a working tail replacement and a tight hairline bill crack that has been professionally reset by Gigi Hopkins.

Provenance: Private Collection, Georgia Private Collection, Massachusetts

Literature: Henry H. Fleckenstein, Jr., "Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas," Exton, PA, 1983, pp. 77-84, similar birds illustrated. Copley Fine Art Auctions, The Sporting Sale, July 23 and 24, 2007, Boston, MA, 2007, lot 141, p. 54, exact pair illustrated.

Provenance

Private Collection, Georgia Private Collection, Massachusetts