Dowitcher by Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952)

Lot 375

About Seller

20 Winter Street
Pembroke, MA 02359
United States

Founded in 2005, Copley Fine Art Auctions is a boutique auction house specializing in antique decoys and American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Over the course of the last two decades, the firm has set auction records for not only individual decoy makers, but also entire carving regions. Copley...Read more

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$50,000	$5,000

About Auction

The Winter Sale 2026, Day 2 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Winter Sale 2026, Day 2

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 21, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-02-21 10:00:00 2026-02-21 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2026, Day 2 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2026-day-2-22164 Lots 301-368 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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Lot Description

Dowitcher
Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952)
Shinnecock, Long Island, NY, c. 1900
10 in. long

One of the finest dowitcher decoys known. This richly colored shorebird decoy exhibits pronounced shoulder, cheek, raised-wing, and slightly dropped tail carving. The head has deeply-recessed German bead glass eyes.

In 1970 pioneer decoy collectors William Mackey, Milton Weiler, and Ed Zern wrote in their "Classic Shorebird Decoys" of this maker's work "...[they] have the feel of real birds. His knowledge and study of the live bird and his skill with a knife transferred the feel of the wishbone, the unfolded wings and the modeling of the bone structure to blocks of wood. His was a unique talent not given to any other decoy maker." Mackey also states "nothing finer has been found ever since."
Original paint with light gunning wear and minor restoration to very tips of wings and less than half of bill tip.

Literature: Dr. Cynthia Byrd, "The Decoys of Long Island," Water Mill, NY, 2010, p. 39, related example illustrated. Quintina Colio, "American Decoys," Ephrata, PA, 1972, pp. 68 and 69, related example illustrated. William J. Mackey Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 103, pl. 87, related example illustrated. Milton C. Weiler and William J. Mackey Jr., "Classic Shorebird Decoys: A Portfolio of Paintings," New York, NY, 1971, pl. 3, related decoys illustrated. Copley Fine Art Auctions, "The Winter Sale 2015," back cover and lot 381, exact decoy illustrated.

Condition

Please refer to the description; if you have additional questions, email colin@copleyart.com.
Shipping Info
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