The Mackey-Carton Horner Mallard by Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942)

Lot 80

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 Sporting Sale 2025, Day 1 by Copley Fine Art Auctions

Live

The Sporting Sale 2025, Day 1

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Jul 10, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-07-10 10:00:00 2025-07-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Sporting Sale 2025, Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-sporting-sale-2025-day-1-19844 Lots 1-316 Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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Lot Description

The Mackey-Carton Horner Mallard
Nathan Rowley Horner (1882-1942)
West Creek, NJ, c. 1910
17 in. long

"He was much less prolific than Shourds, but his duck, brant, and goose decoys are among the most refined made on the New Jersey shore, with spare, elegant lines and subtly blended paint." - Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America"

This is quite possibly the most important New Jersey mallard to enter the auction market in this century. For the past seventy-five years, it has resided in the Carton family home after having been acquired from William J. Mackey Jr.

This decoy exhibits sleek lines and a thin neck and razor thin tail. The application and condition of the paint is among the very finest seen on any New Jersey decoy. It was never rigged, explaining its incredible condition.

While any Horner puddle duck is coveted, this Mackey decoy is exceedingly rare with no comparables among the six later period mallards illustrated in Doherty's "Classic New Jersey Decoys." Looking further across New Jersey, one is hard-pressed to locate a superior mallard by any maker.

An exciting recent find, the Mackey-Carton Horner Mallard, with its clean lines, bright paint, and fine condition, place it amongst the best mallard decoys to come out of the region.
Excellent original paint with even wear, rough edge to left side of tail and tight crack from tail into body and tight hairline crack in neck.

Provenance: William J. Mackey Jr. Collection
Lawrence A. Carton Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, c. 1950
Peter Carton Collection, by descent from the above

Literature: James R. Doherty, "Classic New Jersey Decoys," Louisville, KY, 2011, p. 107, Coen Collection early black duck illustrated, no early mallards illustrated. p. 39, Shourds mallard illustrated.

Condition

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