YELLOWLEGSWilliam J. Matthews (1855-1930s) Rig
Assawoman Island, VA, c. 1890
9 1/4 in. long
Mackey acquired the Matthews rig from the hunter's estate. The underside of this decoy is marked with the Mackey Collection...
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MACKEY RED KNOTCape May, NJ, c. 1860
10in. long
This bold running decoy displays a hard chine, a chip-carved breast, and an underside with provenance markings. There is a Joe French Collection white label and...
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MACKEY BOYD YELLOWLEGSGeorge H. Boyd(1873-1941)
Seabrook, NH, c. 1910
11 in. long
A classic Boyd yellowlegs with a faint Mackey Collection ink stamp.
Original paint with light wear and an original neck crack.
Provenance:...
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TRIO OF HIGH-HEAD YELLOWLEGSSouth Shore,MA, c. 1880
9 in. long
An lively trio with distinctly high heads. This group is part of a recently discovered rig and is offered here in its as-found state.
Original paint...
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BLUEBILLCarriage House Rig
Lacon, IL,c. 1880
12 1/4 in. long
A very hollow decoy, with raised upper wing delineations, originating from the Carriage House rig. This celebrated rig was found in a carriage house...
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CANVASBACKRobert Elliston (1847-1925)
Bureau,IL, c. 1890
15 3/4 in. long
This exact decoy is illustrated in Mackey's "American Bird Decoys," where the author notes the rarity of this example and that "Robert Elliston's...
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AMERICAN EGRETc. 1900
45 in. tall andbird is 26 in. long
This silhouette was carved from a three-quarter-inch board and could be made to represent and egret, stork, or crane. It has a lively weathered surface...
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MACKEY LONG-TAILED DRAKELong Island,NY, c. 1880
11 1/4 in. long
An early hunting decoy that saw use along the rugged waters of the Atlantic Coast. William Mackey owned this decoy and illustrated a pair of rigmates...
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EARLY ROOT-HEAD SHOREBIRDThorn Rig
JamaicaBay, Long Island, NY, c. 1850
13 in. long
A large early decoy with an applied root head. Its size suggests it could have been used to attract curlew. This exact decoy and...
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THE SURACE FEEDING PLOVERObediah Verity(1813-1901)
Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1870
9 3/4 in. long
“Verity’s most distinctive form is a feeding shorebird, with its bulbous head bent down and forward, its...
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THE MULLER VERITY PEEP PAIRObediah Verity(1813-1901)
Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880
6 3/4 in. long
This exceptional peep pair showcases identical form in two distinct plumages. The first is in a rarely seen darker-backed...
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MACKEY REDHEADCapt. Benjamin F. Dye(1832-1896)
Perryville, MD, c. 1880
12 3/4 in. long
This early Upper Bay decoy bears the Mackey Collection ink stamp. He illustrated this decoy in his book, noting that "stylized...
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THE MACKEY-MULLER SHOURDS LONG-TAILHarryV. Shourds (1861-1920)
Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890
13 1/2 in. long
This Shourds carving is considered one of the pinnacle gunning decoys out of New Jersey. In addition to its...
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"WHITE MALLARD CLUB" PINCH-BREAST PINTAILTheWard Brothers
Lemuel T. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976)
Crisfield, MD, c. 1932
18 3/4 in. long
“The Ward Brothers made pintails early on in their craft and they were...
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HUDSONIAN CURLEWA. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952)
EastHarwich, MA, c. 1910
13 3/4 in. long
An early Crowell shorebird decoy with writing on the underside that appears to be by William Mackey and Lloyd Johnson, identifying this...
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BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERDaniel Lake Leeds(1852-1922)
Pleasantville, NJ, c. 1890
9 1/2 in. long
Describing a rigmate and its maker in "Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings," William J. Mackey Jr. writes,...
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O'BRIEN VERITY PEEPObediah Verity (1813-1901)
Seaford,Long Island, NY, c. 1870
8 in. long
An excellent Verity runner with strong provenance and stippling, which includes red-phase plumage. The underside bears the serifed "J.B."...
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RARE GOLDEN PLOVERElisha Burr (1839-1909)
Hingham,MA, c. 1870
8 3/4 in. long
This diminutive Burr decoy is one of only two like it; the other of which resides in a prominent Cape Cod collection. These two gems are distinctive...
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MACKEY GREAT BLUE HERON DECOYMid-Atlantic,c. 1880
36 in. long
This Mackey Collection decoy is a rare authentic root-head heron with a grand body measuring over two feet from the breast to the tail. The head was fashioned...
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EARLY HOLLOW GOLDEN PLOVER WITH RAISEDWING TIPSFolger Family
Nantucket, MA, c. 1840
9 in. long
“To me,” wrote Donal C. O’Brien Jr. “...these are the greatest of all the Nantucket Golden Plovers; very...
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GOLDEN PLOVERMr. Webster
Nantucket,MA, c. 1850
10 in. long
This early plover with a sharp tail cut is among the best of its kind from the iconic Webster rig. It has resided on the island since it was made...
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EARLY HOLLOW FOLGER GOLDEN PLOVERFolgerFamily
Nantucket, MA, c. 1840
11 in. long
“Nantucket decoys are hard to come by and historically they are of great interest. Since they were used for relatively short periods...
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GRAND CURLEWCharles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952)
Shinnecock,NY, c. 1900
17 1/2 in. long
In 1971 Milton Weiler’s “Classic Shorebird Decoys” portfolio was published with text by William J. Mackey Jr. Across from Weiler’s Plate...
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THE HARMON RUNNING COBB CURLEWNathanF. Cobb Jr. (1825-1905)
Cobb Island, VA, c. 1880
15 1/2 in. long
“Every Nathan Cobb decoy had its own natural pose. Even his Hudsonian Curlews…seemed to run, feed, and...
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RARE WHIMBRELMason Decoy Factory (1896-1924)
Detroit,MI, c. 1910
16 1/2 in. long
A rare Mason Factory shorebird decoy with excellent form. In reference to this special model, which they call a Hudsonian Curlew or whimbrel,...
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BLUE-WINGED TEAL PAIR WITH "DOUBLE BLUES"MasonDecoy Factory (1896-1924)
Detroit, MI, c. 1905
12 1/4 in. long
An early rigmate pair of premier-grade teal. Each has classic early Mason form with snakey heads and long bills....
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IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF SEVEN SOUTHERNDECOY BOOKS Five important titles include American Bird Decoys by William Mackey. Jr, Gunnin' Birds by Kroghie Andresen, Carteret Waterfowl Heritage by Jack Dudley, Waterfowl...
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COLLECTION OF TEN DECOY COLLECTING REFERENCEBOOKS Including Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region by Henry Fleckenstein, Jr., Call to the Sky The Decoy Collection of James M. McCleery, MD published by Houston Museum of...
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DOWITCHER SHOREBIRD. North Carolinalate 19th century wood. Root-head dowitcher shorebird in original paint with original bill. Early crack on right side is filled with wax/pitch. On iron stand. 9''l. Similar...
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William Erno Mackey, American, b 1919,ink and charcoal, "Clothes Line Show, Rittenhouse Square", 11" x 14", unframed Estimate $100-200...
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GROUP OF ANTIQUES REFERENCE BOOKS. The Pine Furniture of Early New England Russell Hawes Kettell English Domestic Brass 1680-1810 and History of its Origins Rupert Gentle and Rachael Feild Living With Antiques:...
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