A Family Collection of Cockfighting Paintings
Rarely seen together, this collection of early game fowl portraits and cockfighting memorabilia has remained in the same family since the late 1950s
For over sixty years this group of paintings and artefacts stayed together in a single family collection. Now for offer for the first time in decades, the collection offers a rare and cohesive look at the art and culture surrounding Old English Game fowl in the early 20th century.
At its centre is a run of paintings by H. Atkinson, a name highly sort after and closely tied to the recording of prize game birds in the early 1900s. Explore the collection below.
Dark Grey Cock. Oil on Board. 10 x 7 inches.
Initialed and dated lower left HA 1916.
Inscribed verso in Atkinsons hand 'Dark Grey Cock of L Barnard (Chaka the Lion). Winner in the pit and best bird Oxford show 1912. The Cocks are descendants of the faultless Gilman (Gillman) Greys which were bred from a Narudal Brown Red cock & the old Staffordshire hens. In Gilmans hands they beat everything and continue to do so today (1914).'
Black Hencock. Oil on board. 10 x 7 inches.
Initialed and dated lower left HA 1916.
Inscribed verso in Atkinsons hand: 'A Black Henny. These hen cocks are thought to have been brought to this country by the Phoenicians.'
Muff Cock. Oil on board 10 x 7 inches.
Initialed and dated lower left H A 1916.
Inscribed verso : 'Muff Cock of H Atkinson. One of the Harris Muffs. The cocks were great fighters being of extraordinary strength & gameness.'
Pile Cock. Oil on board. 10 x 7 inches.
Initialed and dated lower left HA 1916.
Inscribed verso: 'A faultless pile. The cocks are descendants of the famous Cheshire Piles.'
Note: Literature: Captain Lawrence Fitz-Barnard, Fighting Sports, Oldham Press LTD, 1921, page 79, plateV11.
Dun Breasted Blue Dun Old English Game.
Oil on canvas. 12 x 17 inches.
Signed and dated H Atkinson 1923.
Note: The Hen in the foreground regarded as having the perfect form.
Black Breasted Black Red Old English Game Pair.
Oil on canvas. 12 x17 inches.
Signed and dated H Atkinson
Brown Red Old English Game Quartet.
Oil on canvas 15 x 20 inches.
Signed and dated H Atkinson 1921.
Ardesois's hand-written Rules and Order of Cocking dated 1754.
With wax seal, six silver spurs, Cock-fighting hood and thong. 17 x 14 inches.
Inscribed: ' Collected by Col. Morrison Tring. Mounted by A.H.Cozens, Lewisham. May 1878'.
Pair Of Cock Fighting Scenes.
Oil on board 10.5 x 13.5 inches.
Signed H Alken Circa 1830.
Set Of Five Fighting Cock Paintings.
Oil on board. Each signed Quilp Circa 1850.
One pair of cocks 8 x 5 inches.
Four single cocks 5.5 x 4.5 inches.
Interested in this collection?
If any of these paintings have caught your eye, or you'd simply like to know more about the collection's history and provenance, we'd love to hear from you.
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Check out our other similar paintings
If you're drawn to the character and history captured in this collection, take a look at our other game bird and sporting paintings, each offering its own glimpse into the world of prized breeding and rural sport.
The artists working in this genre ranged from highly skilled, established painters creating precise records of prized stock, to humbler local craftsmen and travelling artists taking on varied commissions. Though the simpler works could be more naive in style, they're still valued today for their charm and character, offering genuine glimpses into their era.
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