Mallard Drake by Charles Walker (1873-1954)

Lot 489

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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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

Mallard Drake
Charles Walker (1873-1954)
Princeton, IL, c. 1948
17 in. long

Prior to establishing himself as one of the Mississippi Flyway's top decoy makers, Walker was a painter who was influenced by his talented father, a blacksmith and violin maker.

Walker was a member of the Princeton Fish and Game Club of Bureau, Illinois, from 1902 to 1910. However, with a wife and four small children to support, the young painter by trade had to give up the luxury of his duck club membership. However, he continued to hunt there as a guest. After he made a rig of decoys for his host, other club members took note and started placing orders.

He eventually began carving decoys in earnest and set up a workshop near his home on Pleasant Street that became a social hub for club members, fellow carvers, friends, and family. During this period, he is known to have carved rigs of birds for Watson Lawton, Merle L. Brown (Vance rig), Henry Gross (Skinner rig), and Clifford Jolley.

This decoy shows very good head carving with a thin neck and the clean lines and exceptional combed and blended paint associated with this esteemed rig. Lawton's "34" designation is painted on the underside
Original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Watson Lawton Rig, Princeton Game and Fish Club
Robert Metcalf Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, pp. 54-61, Walker club decoys illustrated and discussed.

Condition

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