Shang Wheeler Canvasback Pair

Charles E. "Shang" Wheeler (1872-1949) Stratford, CT, c. 1940 16 1/4 in. long

A rare, full-bodied pair of cork canvasbacks. The hen is in a sleeping pose. With their animated heads and deeply-carved wing separation, these birds work beautifully together to create a perfect pair. Original paint with gunning wear, including some touch-up, both heads have a tight age lines, and the drake has a bill repair to the tip.

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

Literature: Jackson Parker, "O'Brien Classic Decoys on Display," Maine Antiques Digest, November 1981, p. 34-B, exact decoy illustrated. Henry C. Chitwood, "Connecticut Decoys," West Chester, PA, 1987, p. 53, rigmates illustrated. Dixon M. Merkt, "Shang: A Biography of Charles E. Wheeler," Spanish Fork, UT, 1984, p. 184, exact pair 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

Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection