Nathan Rowley Horner The Muller Horner Goose

Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942) West Creek, NJ, c. 1920 24 in. long

"He was much less prolific than Shourds, but his duck, brant, and goose decoys are among the most refined made on the New Jersey shore, with spare, elegant lines and subtly blended paint." — Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America"

An exceptional Canada goose decoy with schooner-like construction by one of New Jersey’s finest makers. Horner captured the essence of a swimming goose, leaving only that which he felt was necessary to create an impression of the real bird. Perhaps the most forward-reaching Horner Canada goose known, this elegant carving was meticulously hollowed to its featherlight state. The underside is marked with the coveted “ED TOWNSEND” stamp as part of this heralded Horner rig. The underside also bears the Muller Collection and Philadelphia Wildfowl Exposition ink stamps. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, a reset neck crack, and touch-up to a chip under bill tip.

Provenance: Ed Townsend Rig, Massachusetts John Dilworth Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection Private Collection

Literature: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 10, exact decoy illustrated. Kenneth L. Gosner, "Working Decoys of the Jersey Coast and Delaware Valley," Cranbury, NJ, 1985, p. 61, exact decoy illustrated (image reversed). Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, p. 187, related example illustrated. Robert Shaw, "Call to the Sky: The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, M.D.," Houston, TX, 1992, p. 60, related example illustrated.

Exhibited: Philadelphia, PA, "Philadelphia Wildfowl Exposition," The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1979.

Provenance

Ed Townsend Rig, Massachusetts John Dilworth Collection Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection Private Collection