PLYMOUTH, MASS. — The top lot at Steve O’Brien Jr’s July 24 sale at Copley Fine Art Auctions, a plover known as the McCleery-Holmes plover, carved by Lothrop Holmes, realized $144,000.

The bird had been made in Kingston, Mass., circa 1880, was previously owned by renowned collector Dr James McCleery. A wigeon drake by John Blair Sr sold for $90,000, while decoys by Elmer Crowell, Lee Dudley and a preening mallard by the combination of Bert Graves and Catherine Elliston also did very well.

Contemporary carvings by Mark McNair, Robert White and others drew numerous bids from bidders in the room, on the phone and on the internet. It was a strong day for decoys and sporting art, with numerous items finishing in five figures.

A watercolor by Andrew Wyeth led the sporting art section of the sale, earning $63,000. Not far behind was a watercolor by Arthur B. Frost, and original artwork by Aiden Ripley, Lanford Monroe, Ogden Pleissner and Frank Benson did well, with several paintings finishing in five figures.

A full report on the auction will follow in an upcoming edition.