The Sporting Sale 2019

Copley Fine Art Auctions will host their annual Sporting Sale, a treasure trove of wildfowling depictions and memorabilia.  Harkening back to a golden era of waterfowl hunting, the auction features oil paintings and sculptures that are astounding in their realism.  

Depicting crisp autumnal days and snow-covered woods, the fine art portion places the viewer in the heart of the sporting action and gives context to the over 400 carved and cast birds in the auction.  These birds include decoys, or wooden birds used in sport to lure waterfowl. Over time, due to their scarcity and a new-found appreciation for their fine artistry, decoys have become highly collectible pieces of decorative art, and the ones included here are world-class examples. 

With its superb brushstrokes, the Harmon turned-head plover by A. Elmer Crowell is believed to be the finest shorebird of its kind.  A Harmon feeding plover also by A. Elmer Crowell is regarded as one of the top two feeders in the world, with a similar example setting the world record for any shorebird decoy.

Also included are a third plover, an Earnest-Purnell drake, a Safford goose, and a Combs pintail decoy, among many others.  An exquisite Edmund H. Osthaus hunting dog oil painting is present as are works by Lemuel T. Ward, Arthur Burdett Frost, Ogden M. Pleissner, and Aiden Lassell Ripley.  Rounding out the collection are several handsome sculptures as well as canes and other collectibles. For bidding registration and to view the complete catalogue, go to Bidsquare.