Auctions | Some duck decoys could bring five figures in Belmar

Frank & Frank's sale of decoys, art and sporting collectibles Sunday in Belmar, Monmouth County, will affirm once again that carved wooden birds do not go for chicken feed.

Four of the duck decoys among the 350-plus lots to be sold beginning at 10 a.m. at the Taylor Pavilion have five-figure presale estimates, befitting their origins, and at least a dozen more are expected to bring four-figure prices.

A canvasback drake made by Lee Dudley of Knotts Island, N.C., at the turn of the 20th century has a presale estimate of $15,000 to $25,000; a rare black duck made about 1880 in the tradition of Philadelphia carver John Blair and illustrated New Jersey decoys are expected to sell for $15,000 to $18,000.

And two ducks made by the famed Ward Brothers of Crisfield, Md., in the 1930s come with two more five-figure futures: $15,000 to $25,000 for a bluebill drake inscribed on the bottom with the signatures of Lem Ward and Steve Wars, and $40,000 to $60,000 for a black duck made in 1936 and signed by Lem Ward.

What distinguishes these ducks from others that do well at auction is their function as working, as opposed to purely decorative, decoys, although the Ward Brothers black duck was never used, according to the catalog description. The two Ward Brothers decoys also have heads slightly turned, a nod to enhancing their credibility to the ducks they lured.

The bulk of the decoys are far more affordable, particularly the newer, nonworking models. A pair of mallards probably from Mississippi is expected to sell for $75 to $125, as are two "stick birds," bodies planted on a single upright: a curlew by Jamie Hand of Cape May, and an oyster catcher attributed to John Hamilton of Cedar Run.

A large number of the decoys were made by New Jerseyans. Steve Morey of Tuckerton has more than two dozen, most with presale estimates in the mid-three-figure range. There are 10 decoys by the Shourds dynasty, also expected to bring three figures.

Perhaps the most unusual decoy is a swan carved by Bob Kerr of Smith Falls, Ontario, in a sleeping position, with its bill tucked under a raised wing. It is expected to sell for $1,600 to $2,200.

Previews are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow and 8 a.m. to sale time Sunday at the pavilion, Fifth and Ocean Avenues. For more information, call 732-938-2988 or go to www.frankandfrankdecoys. com.

Fall sale at Slosberg's. Also on Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m., Barry S. Slosberg will start its three-day Fall Quality Auction with about 400 lots of furniture, carpets, clocks and artwork, including two dozen pieces that cast light on a little-known neighborhood in Chestnut Hill.

The pieces come from a home on Allen's Lane where Slosberg last month conducted an on-site sale, according to Slosberg associate Eric Cohen, who describes the residence as a "spite house."

"It was one of several houses built around 1902 about a block-and-a-half away from Germantown Avenue that were designed to face away from Allen's Lane to spite the neighbors on the other side of the street," Cohen said this week. Among the pieces from it are a mirror with matching sconces that Cohen expects to bring $2,500 to $3,500.

Among the more than 100 artworks in the session are a floral still life by the African American artist Humbert Howard ($800-$1,200), and a Romare Bearden lithograph titled The Return of Ulysses ($1,500 to $2,500.)

Monday's session, beginning at 6 p.m., will offer 400 lots of art glass, porcelains, bronzes and two music boxes - one a Swiss cylinder ($700 to $1,000), the other one unmarked but in the Regina style ($1,500 to $2,500). The top piece in the session is a 10 1/2-inch-wide iridescent green Northwood Carnival Glass plate with a Peacock at Urn design almost identical to one Slosberg sold three years ago for $8,000.

Tuesday's session, also beginning at 6 p.m., will feature 250 lots of jewelry.

Previews are 2 to 7 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to sale time Sunday, and 3 p.m. to sale time Monday and Tuesday at the gallery, 2501 E. Ontario St. in Port Richmond. Information: 215-425-7030 or www.bssauction.com.

Today at Freeman's. More than 300 generally affordable paintings and prints will be offered beginning at 10 a.m. at the gallery, 1808 Chestnut St. The sale will begin with with 120 prints, many expected to bring three-figure prices - although more is possible for 10 etchings and drawings by James A.M. Whistler. A limited-edition waterfront scene titled The Riva No. 2 from his 1880 "26 Etchings" has an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.

The paintings (and some drawings) are by such artists as Julius Bloch, Stanley Mertz, and Emlen Etting. Information: 215-563-9275 or www.freemansauction.com.

Piszek possessions. On Thursday in Hatfield, Alderfer Auction Co. will conduct a sale beginning at 9 a.m. featuring family articles from the Fort Washington home of Edward J. Piszek and family, plus the contents of the Copernicus Society of America, which Piszek, philanthropist and founder of Mrs. Paul's Kitchen, also founded.

Preview is 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. to sale time Thursday at Alderfer's, 501 Fairgrounds Rd. Information: 215-393-3023 or www.alderferauction.com.