Joseph Lincoln Exceedingly Rare Eskimo Curlew

Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938) Accord, MA, c. 1890 12 3/4 in. long

Donal C. O'Brien Jr. discovered this plump decoy and its only two related rigmates on the Island of Nantucket in the 1960s. The other two have since been collected by Dr. James McCleery, Cap Vinal, and Peter Berg. Carvings of this now-extinct species rarely surface, making this example by one of Massachusetts' most famed makers all the more alluring. Lincoln's choice to carve a full belly accurately references this species' plump condition when on Nantucket, where they were known as dough-birds. Early gunning paint with even wear and a chip to underside of wing tips, replaced bill, touch-up to neck cracks.

Provenance: Donal C. O'Brien Jr. Collection, discovered on Nantucket in 1960s Private Collection, Nantucket

Literature: Sotheby's and Guyette & Schmidt, "American Waterfowl Decoys: The Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery," New York, NY, 2000, p. 212, lot 566, rigmate illustrated. John M. Levinson and Somers G. Headley, "Shorebirds," Centreville, MD, 1991, p. 56, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Donal C. O'Brien Jr. Collection, discovered on Nantucket in 1960s Private Collection, Nantucket