Charles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952) Shinnecock, NY or William "Bill" Bowman (1824-1906) of Bangor, ME  and Lawrence, NY, c. 1900 12 1/2 in. long Bunn/Bowman willet are far less common than the  maker’s dowitchers or yellowlegs. Collectors have  come to differentiate the maker’s willet in part  by their full size with plump round bellies. This classic Long Island shorebird decoy exhibits  the maker's graceful lines with raised wings and  split primaries. The maker's signature black bead  glass eyes are set within recessed eye grooves  above the fully rounded cheeks.  William J. Mackey Jr., one of the most prolific  decoy collectors of all time, wrote of the maker  of these birds, “Their origin is not definitely  known, but the carver created a replica of the live bird as well as any decoy maker of  record.”
The surface has been take taken down  to original paint, gunning  wear.
Provenance: Richard LaFountain  Collection
Literature: William J. Mackey Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 103, pl. 87, quote.
Quintina Colio, "American Decoys," Ephrata, PA, 1972, pp. 68-69, related decoy illustrated.                                                                                                                            
                                                
Condition
                                                                                            
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