Elmer Crowell The Nye Preening Goldeneye

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, 1914 14 1/2 in. long

This bird was created during the nexus in Crowell’s career when he was transitioning from working decoys to decorative carvings. The subtleties of the construction, wide body, and carving technique, along with paint application, place this among the earliest of Crowell’s mantle carvings. The carving’s dramatically turned head and crossed wing tips give the goldeneye an animated quality that views well from all angles. Crowell inset hardwood wing tips and then incised primaries in each. This extra treatment is only seen in his best efforts during this brief early period. Crowell used an impasto paint technique that leaves a textured surface, adding an intricate dimension to the already sophisticated paint pattern. It was during this short transitional period from about 1910-1915 that Crowell produced some of his most exciting works, including the celebrated carvings found in the Harry V. Long (1857-1949) and the Dr. John C. Phillips (1876-1938) Collections.

This is one of two preening goldeneye drakes known to have been made by Crowell. A closely related example of this species was carved for Dr. Phillips and was collected by Jim Cook. A Barrows goldeneye, made for John H. Cunningham, resides in the Evans Collection. This lot descended in the Nye family for over a century.

This decoy was originally owned by Everett Irving Nye (1851-1923). E. I. Nye was born on Cape Cod in the town of Sandwich, a town his ancestors helped to found. At age nineteen, he apprenticed with Herman Sears, a blacksmith from Dennis, MA. He later went on to own an iron works in Wellfleet. He married Georgette Baker from Wellfleet, where the young couple settled. In 1900, he was the town’s postmaster, and in 1920, he wrote and had published “History of Wellfleet, from Early Days to Present.” While in Wellfleet, he was documented as a prominent New England duck breeder, perhaps inspiring the gift he would be given. In 1914, Nye was presented with this exceptional Crowell carving at the age of sixty-three. An inscription on the underside documents this transfer. Original paint with wear. Gigi Hopkins performed minor restoration including: a light cleaning, darkening to bill tip, touch-up to area on breast and hairline crack in right wing tip, and a half-inch restoration to tip of left wing.

Provenance: Everett I. Nye, Wellfleet, Massachusetts Private Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O’Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 157, Cook example illustrated, pp. 60-61, Nye discussed and exact decoy illustrated. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, "The Harry V. Long Collection of A. Elmer Crowell Decoys, The Sporting Sale," Boston, MA, 2009, lots 60 and 63, related decoys illustrated.

Provenance

Everett I. Nye, Wellfleet, Massachusetts Private Collection, by descent from the above Private Collection