Verity Family Black Bellied Plover

Obediah Verity (1813-1901) Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880 A plump bird with fine square "beetle head" form, deeply carved heart-shaped wings. Forward-looking, deeply incised eyes. Doweled and splined-through hardwood bill. This honest working Verity shorebird is among the finest we have handled. Displaying the maker's very best vermiculation. A museum-quality example for the sophisticated shorebird or folk art collector. This bird is nearly identical in form and patination to the four black-bellied plovers illustrated in Gunner's Paradise by E. Jane Townsend, pp. 115-116. Retains dry original paint, with the typical second coat of black to the breast and bill. A few shotmarks and even gunning wear. Beautiful tight, even craquelure throughout. Hairline crack runs through one wing.

Provenance: Peter Brams Collection, acquired from Bud Ward

Literature: H. Fleckenstein, Jr. Shore Bird Decoys, Exton, PA, 1980, pp. 42-43, color plates XII, XIV and XVI. Q. Colio, American Decoys, New York, NY, 1972. xiii. W. Mackey, Jr., American Bird Decoys, New York, NY, 1965, p. 102.

Provenance

Peter Brams Collection, acquired from Bud Ward