John Dilley Willet

John Dilley Quogue, Long Island, NY, c. 1890 14 in. long

O’Brien owned eighteen Dilley decoys over the decades; this rare willet was his favorite.

Regarding the rig of six Dilley shorebirds that he first acquired, William J. Mackey, Jr. recounted in "Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings," "These decoys had real class and were envied by fellow collectors such as Joel Barber and Edgar Burke, who left my house walking on air because I had given them each a snipe."

When referring to Dilley shorebirds in "American Bird Decoys," Mackey states, “There is no question that the detailed, stylized painting is unsurpassed. They are beautiful examples from the hand of a fastidious workman.” Starting with clean lines and a solid form, Dilley applied some of the finest representations of plumage ever demonstrated. Using a two-tiered paint technique, he was able to imply detail without carving or painting every feather. This grand willet displays the maker's best paint and deep S-shaped wing carving that sweeps back to resolve under the tail. Its large size and sophisticated carving set it apart from the field. In excellent original paint with minimal gunning wear.

Provenance: Adele Earnest Collection Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection

Literature: Laurence Sheehan, "The Birding Life," New York, NY, 2011, p. 95, exact decoy illustrated. Laurence Sheehan, "The Sporting Life," New York, NY, 1992, p. 80, exact decoy illustrated. Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, “The World of Shooting,” Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated. Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys: Wildfowl Carvers and Collectors News, Spanish Fork, UT, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 30, exact decoy illustrated. Jeff Waingrow, “The American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien, Jr.,” The Clarion: America’s Folk Art Magazine, Fall 1981, p. 31, exact decoy illustrated.

Exhibited: New York, New York, “The Art of the American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien Jr.,” Museum of American Folk Art, September 3–November 8, 1981.

Provenance

Adele Earnest Collection Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection