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Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum- Celebrating the Decoy Legacy. Located at the Dewitt Cottage in Virginia Beach, VA

The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum at the historic DeWitt Cottage has an extraordinary evening planned, celebrating The Decoy Legacy. In honor of 130 years overlooking the Virginia Beach oceanfront and 30 years of the museum’s dedication to preserving waterfowl traditions, this benefit event will feature a special online and in-person auction of three remarkable works of art. Master carver Mark McNair presents an exceptional The "de Witt Cottage Rig" Preening Wood Duck, carved and painted with the refined craftsmanship that defines his celebrated style, while third-generation carver Ian McNair offers an elegant "Spring Island" Blue-Winged Teal, a piece designed in conjunction with Ian's father, Mark McNair, for a special decoy program they led on Spring Island, South Carolina. This sleek design pays homage to the laconic 19th-century designs of the Holly family from the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Together, these decoys represent the enduring artistry of American waterfowl carving and provide collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire significant works while supporting the preservation of DeWitt Cottage’s heritage. A third entry titled A Little Mermaid by Colin McNair, makes a stunning addition to the event. This life-size wall-mount carving of a young mermaid is the first of its kind by any of the McNairs. She is inspired by the artist's young family's passion for this mythical being. The piece exhibits a suite of relief carving techniques in the tail, hair, and giant scallop shell.

Auction ID: P3043
Location
1113 Atlantic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Starts Closing
Saturday, September 20, 2025 10:30 PM
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    • Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum- Celebrating the Decoy Legacy. Located at the Dewitt Cottage in Virginia Beach, VA

    The Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum at the historic DeWitt Cottage has an extraordinary evening planned, celebrating The Decoy Legacy. In honor of 130 years overlooking the Virginia Beach oceanfront and 30 years of the museum’s dedication to preserving waterfowl traditions, this benefit event will feature a special online and in-person auction of three remarkable works of art. Master carver Mark McNair presents an exceptional The "de Witt Cottage Rig" Preening Wood Duck, carved and painted with the refined craftsmanship that defines his celebrated style, while third-generation carver Ian McNair offers an elegant "Spring Island" Blue-Winged Teal, a piece designed in conjunction with Ian's father, Mark McNair, for a special decoy program they led on Spring Island, South Carolina. This sleek design pays homage to the laconic 19th-century designs of the Holly family from the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Together, these decoys represent the enduring artistry of American waterfowl carving and provide collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire significant works while supporting the preservation of DeWitt Cottage’s heritage. A third entry titled A Little Mermaid by Colin McNair, makes a stunning addition to the event. This life-size wall-mount carving of a young mermaid is the first of its kind by any of the McNairs. She is inspired by the artist's young family's passion for this mythical being. The piece exhibits a suite of relief carving techniques in the tail, hair, and giant scallop shell.
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    There is a 15% Buyers Premium For This Auction. Items Close at a Rate of 1 Item Every 15 Minutes in Catalog Order Beginning at 6:30pm. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidders. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser.
    The "de Witt Cottage Rig" Preening Wood Duck by Mark McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA 2025
    �Mark McNair is the dean of contemporary decoy carvers. We have all the great masters here at the Shelburne Museum: Albert Laing, Elmer Crowell, Charles 'Shang' Wheeler... and it really speaks to Mark's place within this field that he is the only living artist we have in the museum's collection.� � Kory Rogers, The Francie and John Downing Senior Curator of American Art, Shelburne Museum, Vermont This preening drake wood duck decoy is one of only a small handful of McNair of this design. Indeed, no comparables are known to have surfaced at auction in over a quarter-century, if ever. This piece is a "Garden & Gun" wood duck, having been in the works when G&G magazine produced a feature article on McNair for the April-May 2024 issue. A rigmate drake set a world record price for not only a McNair decoy, but any living carver, when it sold in Copley Fine Art Auction's Sporting Sale 2024. This hollow-bodied cedar carving exhibits exceptional form with a long-reaching neck, carved primary feathers, and exquisite paint with combed vermiculation. This donation by Mark to benefit the Atlantic Waterfowl Heritage Museum marks a milestone in 50 50-year relationship. In the 1970s, the young carver made the journey down to Virginia from his Connecticut home to attend a decoy show put on by The Back Bay Wildfowl Guild, a forerunner to the museum. The underside is rigged and features two star-head nails, which are only found on some of the maker's special works. The "McNair" signature and "De Witt Cottage Rig" are incised in the bottom. Original paint with minimal wear. Literature: Nic Brown, "Chesapeake Chops," Garden & Gun, April/May 2024, pp. 132-139, the artist is shown working on rigmate wood ducks. Presale Estimate: $6,000- $9,000. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidder. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser. - Lot 1
  • $2,500.00
    • The "de Witt Cottage Rig" Preening Wood Duck by Mark McNair (b. 1950) Craddockville, VA 2025
    Lot 1 - �Mark McNair is the dean of contemporary decoy carvers. We have all the great masters here at the Shelburne Museum: Albert Laing, Elmer Crowell, Charles 'Shang' Wheeler... and it really speaks to Mark's place within this field that he is the only living artist we have in the museum's collection.� � Kory Rogers, The Francie and John Downing Senior Curator of American Art, Shelburne Museum, Vermont This preening drake wood duck decoy is one of only a small handful of McNair of this design. Indeed, no comparables are known to have surfaced at auction in over a quarter-century, if ever. This piece is a "Garden & Gun" wood duck, having been in the works when G&G magazine produced a feature article on McNair for the April-May 2024 issue. A rigmate drake set a world record price for not only a McNair decoy, but any living carver, when it sold in Copley Fine Art Auction's Sporting Sale 2024. This hollow-bodied cedar carving exhibits exceptional form with a long-reaching neck, carved primary feathers, and exquisite paint with combed vermiculation. This donation by Mark to benefit the Atlantic Waterfowl Heritage Museum marks a milestone in 50 50-year relationship. In the 1970s, the young carver made the journey down to Virginia from his Connecticut home to attend a decoy show put on by The Back Bay Wildfowl Guild, a forerunner to the museum. The underside is rigged and features two star-head nails, which are only found on some of the maker's special works. The "McNair" signature and "De Witt Cottage Rig" are incised in the bottom. Original paint with minimal wear. Literature: Nic Brown, "Chesapeake Chops," Garden & Gun, April/May 2024, pp. 132-139, the artist is shown working on rigmate wood ducks. Presale Estimate: $6,000- $9,000. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidder. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser.
  • $2,500.00
    • A Little Mermaid by Colin McNair (b. 1986) Kingston, MA, 2025
    This life-size wall-mount carving of a young mermaid is the first of its kind by any of the McNairs. She is inspired by the artist's young family's passion for this mythical being. The piece exhibits a suite of relief carving techniques in the tail, hair, and giant scallop shell. Made with four-piece construction of one-inch vertical-grain cedar using dowel joinery. The body is finished in metallic gold. It is built and painted to reside indoors or weather outdoors and is rigged to hang flat against a wall. Original paint with light wear. "We've got no troubles, Life is the bubbles, Under the sea" -Sebastian, The Little Mermaid. Presale Estimate $2,000 - $3,000. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidder. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser. - Lot 2 Dimension: 35W 51H
  • $0.00
    • A Little Mermaid by Colin McNair (b. 1986) Kingston, MA, 2025
    Lot 2 - This life-size wall-mount carving of a young mermaid is the first of its kind by any of the McNairs. She is inspired by the artist's young family's passion for this mythical being. The piece exhibits a suite of relief carving techniques in the tail, hair, and giant scallop shell. Made with four-piece construction of one-inch vertical-grain cedar using dowel joinery. The body is finished in metallic gold. It is built and painted to reside indoors or weather outdoors and is rigged to hang flat against a wall. Original paint with light wear. "We've got no troubles, Life is the bubbles, Under the sea" -Sebastian, The Little Mermaid. Presale Estimate $2,000 - $3,000. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidder. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser.
  • $0.00
    • "Spring Island" Blue-Winged Teal by Ian McNair (b. 1981) Exmore, VA, 2025
    This decoy's pattern was designed in conjunction with Ian's father, Mark McNair, for a special decoy program they led on Spring Island, South Carolina. This sleek design pays homage to the laconic 19th-century designs of the Holly family from the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Incised "I McNair" on the underside. Original paint with light wear. Presale Estimate: $600 - $900. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidder. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser. - Lot 3
  • $0.00
    • "Spring Island" Blue-Winged Teal by Ian McNair (b. 1981) Exmore, VA, 2025
    Lot 3 - This decoy's pattern was designed in conjunction with Ian's father, Mark McNair, for a special decoy program they led on Spring Island, South Carolina. This sleek design pays homage to the laconic 19th-century designs of the Holly family from the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Incised "I McNair" on the underside. Original paint with light wear. Presale Estimate: $600 - $900. Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum will provide donation letter for winner bidder. We are a 501(3)c nonprofit organization hosting this fundraiser.
  • $0.00
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