Henry Osbourne Attributed - Blackbellied Plover

Updated September 3, 2026

Lot number178
Estimate2,500.00 - 4,500.00 USD
AuctionFall Feature Decoy & Sporting Art Auction 2026
DateSeptember 26, 2026 at 10:52 PM EDT
Auction houseAmerican Sporting Auctions
LocationSyracuse, New York

Henry Osbourne attr. Bellmore, NY c.1890 11.5" long | 3.75" wide Plump wide bodied plover with deeply carved eyes and relief carved wings that come to an above the tail. Line loop hole drilled through the center tail, a clever adaptation that would allow the hunter to loop the birds all together and both keep them in one place in the skiff or tied off to a hip to free up hands. The shorebird is one of three known, supposedly found washed ashore after a 1904 coastal storm and has '1904' deeply carved into the underside.Condition: Entirely original protected by a thin layer of varnish that has mellowed. Heavily hit by shot with moderate paint flaking exposing the white lead primer. Tight split in breast

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