Exceptional Merganser
Fred M. Nichols (1854-1924)
Lynn, MA, c. 1890
17 in. long

Ongoing research has identified this decoy and its two rigmates as the work of Massachusetts master carver Fred Nichols. This hollow merganser is among the finest decoys discovered in decades. Like the goose, the red-breasted merganser has been a muse for many of the great known and unknown Atlantic carvers. A thorough review of the finest mergansers confirms that this carving stands on its own as one of the greatest extant, and it is certainly second-to-none among all hollow examples of this species.

The sleek body is topped with a serpentine neck on a raised neck seat topped by a highly refined head. The delicate bill is constructed with a hardwood mortise-and-tenon fit and is trimmed with precise mandible carving. Topping the head is a ridged crest running from the crown to the nape with a rasp finish, capturing the texture of the wet, shaggy feathers after a dive. The lightweight hollow body has slight shoulder separation and a thin paddle tail. A thin bottom board completes the underside of the decoy and it appears to have had a wooden keel at one time. The surface is finished with softly blended paint and sharp wing patches. Given its fragile features, the decoy has survived in remarkably good condition.

Obvious comparisons have been made to the merganser rig of Captain Samuel A. Fabens, while a deeper review focuses on the grand willet attributed to Fred Nichols. While more fluid and detailed than a Fabens merganser, the form and construction show a common origin with Nichols. Gigi Hopkins reveals that Fabens and Nichols were both guests at the prestigious Ives Camp in Rowley, Massachusetts, which was co-founded in 1853 by none other than Capt. Charles C. Osgood (1820-1886).
Original paint with even gunning wear. Neck seam is loose.

Provenance: Private Collection, Massachusetts

Literature: Gwladys Hopkins, “Massachusetts Masterpieces: The Decoy As Art,” Lincoln, MA, 2016, pp. 76-77, Osgood, Fabens and Nichols discussed. Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, pp. 150-151, lost Fabens merganser illustrated and Massachusetts discussed.

Please email condition report requests to colin@copleyart.com. Any condition statement given is a courtesy to customers, Copley will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition.