Lothrop Holmes Running Golden Plover

Lothrop Turner Holmes (1824-1899) Kingston, MA, c. 1860 10 in. long

Unlike many professional carvers who earned a living selling their decoys, Lothrop Turner Holmes only carved decoys for his own use along the marshes of the Jones River and Duxbury Bay.

Holmes is one of the earliest documented shorebird makers from any region and is widely considered the top decoy maker of the nineteenth century.

This singular decoy is believed to be the only known Holmes golden plover in original paint to have surfaced, making it even more rare than the maker's coveted ruddy turnstones. At least two other rigmate black-bellied plover are known to exist. One of those is featured in "Shorebirds: The Birds, The Hunters, The Decoys" by Levinson and Headley, and hailed from the Grant Nelson Collection. The other example resides in a private California collection and also displays the maker's best paint.

This one-of-a-kind golden plover displays spectacular blended feather paint, the maker's signature split-tail carving, and remarkable condition. Outstanding original paint with light gunning wear.

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

Literature: John M. Levinson and Somers G. Headley, "Shorebirds: The Birds, The Hunters, The Decoys," Centreville, MD, 1991, p. 57, pl. 4-11, rigmate illustrated. Laurence Sheehan, "The Sporting Life," New York, NY, 1992, p. 83, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection