Charles Sumner Bunn Willet

Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) Shinnecock, NY or William "Bill" Bowman (1824-1906) of Bangor, ME and Lawrence, NY, c. 1900

Bunn/Bowman willet are far less common than the maker’s dowitchers or yellowlegs. Collectors have come to differentiate the maker’s willet in part by their plump round bellies.

This classic Long Island shorebird decoy exhibits the maker's graceful lines with raised wings and carved primaries. The maker's signature black bead glass eyes are set within recessed eye grooves above the fully rounded cheeks. A rigmate to this bird is illustrated in Fleckenstein's "Shore Bird Decoys" book. A nearly identical rigmate is illustrated and identified as a willet in Colio's book "American Decoys."

William J. Mackey, Jr., one of the most prolific decoy collectors of all time, wrote of the maker of these birds, “Their origin is not definitely known, but the carver created a replica of the live bird as well as any decoy maker of record.” Original paint with light gunning wear, age line in breast, and touch-up where bill meets face and on lower back. Hairline crack in original bill, typical restoration and touch-up to wing tips.

Provenance: Bud Ward Collection Private Collection

Literature: William J. Mackey, Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 103, plate 87 caption. Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., "Shore Bird Decoys," Exton, PA, 1980, p. 41, fig. 44 and p. 63, plate XXXIII, similar decoy illustrated. Quintina Colio, "American Decoys," Ephrata, PA, 1972, pp. 68-69, nearly identical decoys illustrated. Richard E. Cohen and Brandy S. Culp, "Preserving the Art of the Decoy," Charleston, SC, 2012, p. 61, similar decoy illustrated. Timothy Sieger, "The Decoys of Long Island," Water Mills, NY, 2010, p. 41, similar example illustrated. Guyette and Schmidt, "North American Decoys at Auction," July 2004, back cover, related example illustrated.

Provenance

Bud Ward Collection Private Collection