Joseph W. Lincoln (1859-1938), Long-Tailed Hen ($40/60,000).

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Copley Fine Art Auctions will partner with the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), to sponsor a three-day celebration of wildlife and nature through fine art, conservation education and sporting demonstrations. On February 15–17, SEWE will host some 40,000 attendees from across the nation.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with SEWE,” Copley’s owner and principal, Stephen B. O’Brien Jr, said, “Jimmy Huggins, John Powell and Lloyd Newberry have done a tremendous job over the years growing this event into one of the nation’s great festivals. Their steadfast decision to celebrate the old and new masters of decoy carving and sporting art is why we are there. I really tip my cap to them.”

O’Brien has reason to be excited, as Copley is coming off its most successful auction ever. The Sporting Sale in July grossed a company record of $5.2 million and was the largest decoy auction in over a decade. The sale included the third session of the Donal C. O’Brien Jr collection, which achieved a 95 percent sell through rate, a record-shattering $24,800 per lot sold and a total of $7.35 million.

Over the course of the last 12 years, Copley has sold more than $60 million of decoys and sporting art. “Those are hard numbers our clients can take to the bank. The advent of keyword searchable databases such as Invaluable and AskArt continue to shed light on the true state of the market, making our results all the more impressive. I am extremely proud of the sales records that our team has compiled, and at
over 10,000 objects strong, our database has come to set the industry standard for accurate reporting, making it a powerful tool for both our sellers and our buyers,” O’Brien said. It is no surprise that in the last decade Copley has placed more decoys on the top 100 all-time list than all other firms combined during the same period.

Copley’s Winter Sale on February 16, will once again feature the finest sporting offerings headlined by decoys, paintings and sculpture with distinct provenance and accurate condition reports informed by extensive ultraviolet and X-ray analysis. The auction will have a fresh look in 2019, moving to SEWE’s bustling riverfront at the Charleston Marriott, at 170 Lockwood Drive.

The sale will offer the opportunity to view and take home world-class paintings and fine bird carvings. Items will be available to preview Friday, February 15, from 3 to 5 pm and Saturday, February 16, from 8 to 10 am. Bidding will begin at 10 am on February 16. Telephone and absentee bidding are available, and online bidding will be offered through Bidsquare and the sporting art industry’s first app, Copley Live.

For more information or catalog, www.copleyart.com or email info@copleyart.com or call 617-536-0030.

Edmund H. Osthaus (1858-1928), “On Point,” oil on canvas, 24 by 36 inches ($30/50,000).