- 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...
[more like this] - MACKEY RED KNOTCape May, NJ, c. 1860
10
in. 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...
[more like this] - 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:...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - AMERICAN EGRETc. 1900
45 in. tall and
bird 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...
[more like this] - ROOT-HEAD BRANTGus Bishop
Babylon, Long
Island, NY, c. 1880
16 3/4 in. long
The underside bears a Mackey ink stamp, "Gus Bishop" brand and cold stamp, and a "A.D. Haff" brand.
As found.
Provenance: William J....
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERHarry V. Shourds
(1861-1920)
Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1900
10 in. long
Mackey's inked inscription on the underside reads "Tuckerton NJ, Shourdes [sic]." Though attributed to the work of Nate Frazier...
[more like this] - EARLY ROOT-HEAD SHOREBIRDThorn Rig
Jamaica
Bay, 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...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - MACKEY VERITY TURNSTONE FLATTIESeaford,
Long Island, NY, c. 1880
8 in. long
A rare Verity family turnstone with the Mackey Collection stamp on the underside.
Old working paint with moderate gunning wear.
Provenance:...
[more like this] - THE MACKEY ENGLISH MALLARDJohn English
(1848-1915)
Florence, NJ, c. 1880
16 in. long
John English was “the innovator of the Delaware River decoy,” yet his existence alluded collectors for years and information...
[more like this] - THE MACKEY-MULLER SHOURDS LONG-TAILHarry
V. 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...
[more like this] - THE MACKEY-MULLER SHOURDS MERGANSERHarry
V. Shourds (1861-1920)
Tuckerton, NJ, c. 1890
15 3/4 in. long
“Shourds is one of the acknowledged master makers of New Jersey decoys. His birds were as fine as any made...
[more like this] - "WHITE MALLARD CLUB" PINCH-BREAST PINTAILThe
Ward 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...
[more like this] - MACKEY GOLDENEYE HENQuebec, Canada,
c. 1900
13 in. long
A goldeneye with sharply incised feather detail, bottom-hollowed construction covered with a thin lead pad, and the Mackey Collection stamp on the underside....
[more like this] - 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,...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - EARLY HOLLOW GOLDEN PLOVER WITH RAISED
WING 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...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - EARLY HOLLOW FOLGER GOLDEN PLOVERFolger
Family
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...
[more like this] - MACKEY-WHEELER BLACK DUCKCharles E.
"Shang" Wheeler (1872-1949)
Stratford, CT, c. 1940
17 1/4 in. long
This Connecticut classic features a refined hollow pine body, turned head, and Shang’s signature scratch...
[more like this] - 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...
[more like this] - THE HARMON RUNNING COBB CURLEWNathan
F. 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...
[more like this] - 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,...
[more like this] - CHARLES PERDEW (1874-1963) CROWA carved
crow in the classic carving of Charles H. Perdew, Illinois (1874-1963). In black paint with glass eyes, long beak and a long tail and mounted with original heavy wire legs...
[more like this] - TWO MACKEY COLLECTION PAINTED WOOD SHORE
BIRDSboth featuring the Mackey Collection stamp on underside, mounted on wooden bases, one appears to be yellow leg sandpiper. Largest: 17 1/2" high, 6 3/4" long, 4 1/4" wide....
[more like this] - AMERICAN 20TH CENTURY SCHOOL, PORTRAIT
OF ELLIN MACKEY BERLIN, PHOTOGRAPH, FRAMED: 14 X 11-1/4 INAmerican 20th Century School, Portrait of Ellin Mackey Berlin, Photograph, Framed: 14 x 11-1/4 in...
[more like this] - KIM MACKEY, CANYON CHAOSKim Mackey,
(b. 1953) Canyon Chaos, oil on canvas signed lower right: © Mackey O.P.A. oil on canvas Dimensions: 24 x 18 in. (60.96 x 45.72 cm.), Frame: 29 3/4 x 23 1/2 x 1 3/8 in....
[more like this] - DOWITCHER SHOREBIRD. North Carolina
late 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...
[more like this] - William Erno Mackey, American, b 1919,
ink and charcoal, "Clothes Line Show, Rittenhouse Square", 11" x 14", unframed Estimate $100-200...
[more like this] - BLACK DUCK DECOYFrom Barnegat Bay New
Jersey. Maker unknown. Original paint with wear. Ex Mackey Collection stamp....
[more like this] - 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:...
[more like this] - THOMAS MACKEY (1851-1920): COUNTRY BORDER
GARDEN Watercolor on paper signed and dated 1903 lower right. 6 3/4 x 10 1/2 in. (sight) 12 1/4 x 16 1/4 in. (frame). Estate of Katherine W. Mellon Stonington CT....
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