Elmer Crowell Black Bellied Plover

A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) East Harwich, MA, c. 1910 10 1/4 in. long

In "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," authors Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney write, "In addition to being an artist and craftsman, Crowell was an innovator and businessman, able to carve birds at different price points. To this end, he created works with a high degree of variation, as demonstrated by his black-bellied plover carvings." In this case, Crowell took tremendous care in carving his early shorebird rigs for his most affluent patrons, and this example would certainly be placed in that high-ranking group.

This decoy and a small number of others are closely linked to the maker’s dust-jacket plover. Illustrating this connection is a highly comparable decoy in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum which has also been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The obvious variation of the museum decoy is its incised raised primary carving. This offering’s refined form and exceptional paint application demonstrate the carver's mastery of his trade. It was finished with bead glass eyes and Elmer Crowell's exceptional wet-on-wet feather blending which is particularly well represented on the head and neck. Original paint with light gunning wear, approximately two inches of touch-up to wood chip on bottom behind stick hole.

Provenance: Private Collection, Cambridge Massachusetts

Literature: Jeff Waingrow, “American Wildfowl Decoys,” New York, NY, 1985, p. 91 and back cover, closely related example with carved wing tips illustrated. Gary Guyette and Frank Schmidt, Inc., "Important Waterfowl Decoys & Bird Carvings at Auction, July 29 & 30, 1994,” Ogunquit, ME, lot 428, exact decoy illustrated. Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Chelsie W. Olney, "Elmer Crowell: Father of American Bird Carving," Hingham, MA, 2019, p. 218, Crowell plover comparisons illustrated and discussed.

Provenance

Private Collection, Cambridge Massachusetts