Eskimo Curlew Pair
Massachusetts, c. 1850
13 in. long

Bearing traits seen in the earliest Massachusetts South Shore carvings, both decoys reveal refined split-tail carving, graceful neck transitions, and the tack eyes that would later be adopted by Joseph Lincoln (1859-1938).

These decoys were possibly made by the same hand as the early hollow running curlew from the Grant Nelson Collection, illustrated in "Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest." Both display the "NELSON" Collection stamp on the underside.
Both birds are in original paint. The runner has even gunning wear and partial loss to bill tip. The upright bird has a gunning repair to the neck and a replaced bill.

Provenance: Grant Nelson Collection

Literature: Loy S. Harrell Jr., "Decoys: North America’s One Hundred Greatest," Iola, WI, 2000, p. 82, possible rigmate illustrated.Jackson Parker, "Unknown Curlew Causes Excitement at Massachusetts Americana Auction," Decoy Magazine, November/December 1997, pp. 3 and 34, possible rigmate illustrated.