SNOWY OWLAMERICAN SCHOOL, CIRCA 1920S | Snowy OwlAmerican School, circa 1920s

Frank Maresca, New York;
Steve Miller, American Folk Art, New York.

Museum of American Folk Art, New York, Discoveries in American Folk Art, 1988.

Roger Ricco and Frank Maresca, American Primitive (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1988) p. 220, fig. 314;
Tom Geismar and Harvey Kahn, Spiritually Moving:  A Collection of American Folk Art Sculpture (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998) cat. no. 40, illus. in color.

Paint has been touched up. Chips on the tail are covered with paint. Eyes are repainted. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Purchasers may pay for and pick up their purchases from any of our Americana Week sales taking place from January 17-20, 2019, at our York Avenue headquarters until the close of business on Sunday, January 20, 2019. After this time, all property (sold and unsold) will be transferred to our offsite facility, Crozier Fine Art, One Star Ledger Plaza, 69 Court Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Once property has been transferred from our York Avenue location, it will not be available for collection at Crozier Fine Arts until Friday, January 25, 2019. Crozier's hours of operation for collection are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Please note, certain items of property, including but not limited to jewelry, watches, silver and works on panel will remain at 1334 York Avenue. Invoices and statements will indicate your property's location. For more information regarding collection from our offsite facility, please visit sothebys.com/pickup.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) are Arctic birds that breed in Alaskan and Canadian tundra regions but occasionally visit northern New England in winter, sometimes in great numbers. Unlike other owls, Snowy Owls hunt during the day, and their plumage is designed to provide camouflage in the snow-covered terrain they favor. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Snowy Owls are, “Historically, one of the most persecuted owls in North America,” and thousands were shot during their sporadic winter migratory intrusions into New England in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, decoys would not have been necessary to such pursuits, and this highly detailed carving was most likely made to honor the birds, not to lure them. It depicts a male Snowy Owl, which is almost completely white whereas females are flecked with black. Its deeply carved wings, tail, eyes, and beak; incised feathers; and turned head contribute to a remarkable portrait of this uncommon and eye-catching species.