Makers / Elmer Crowell / Plover

Elmer Crowell Black Bellied Plover

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910

Elmer Crowell – Black-Bellied Plover – 2008
$16,100
Brought, including buyer's premium
Estimate $20,000–$30,000under estimate
Sold Jul 2008at Copley, July 2008

See this lot at Copley →

SpeciesPloverConfigRigPaintOriginal

The catalog record

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 Finely detailed shorebird decoy with Crowell's earliest tack eyes. This plump plover exhibits sharply-cut raised primaries and delicate thin split-tail carving. For the shorebird collector looking for a choice untouched gunning decoy one would be hard pressed to find a better example from this early rig. In original paint with appealing craquelure; minimal gunning wear; struck once or twice by shot.

Provenance: Private Collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Provenance

Private Collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Comparable sales

The 5 most recent Elmer Crowell Plovers to cross the block.

SoldConditionPaintBrought
Jul 2026Mint—$36,000
Jul 2026ExcellentOriginal$32,400
Jul 2026ExcellentOriginal$25,200
Jul 2026—Original$22,800
Jul 2026—Original$21,000

Same maker and species, most recent first. Prices include the buyer's premium. All Elmer Crowell sales