OVERSIZE SPEAR-RIG BLACK DUCKJosephW. Lincoln (1859-1938)
Accord, MA, c. 1910
22 in. long
“Lincoln was a laconic man, a consummate Yankee craftsman whose solid-bodied decoys are reflections of their maker’s...
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HIGH-HEAD MALLARD PAIRWalter "Tube"Dawson (1882-1955)
Putnam, IL, c. 1920
17 in. long
Dawson learned carpentry from his father and began carving decoys at age seventeen. Over his long career in wood, he proved...
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AMERICAN EGRETc. 1900
45 in. tall andbird is 26 in. long
This silhouette was carved from a three-quarter-inch board and could be made to represent and egret, stork, or crane. It has a lively weathered surface...
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TUCKED-HEAD GOLDENEYELake St. Clair,c. 1900
14 in. long
A hollow carving with "JVM" branded on the underside.
Old paint with heavy gunning wear, including a bill tip chip.
Literature: Bernard W. Crandell,...
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MACKEY LONG-TAILED DRAKELong Island,NY, c. 1880
11 1/4 in. long
An early hunting decoy that saw use along the rugged waters of the Atlantic Coast. William Mackey owned this decoy and illustrated a pair of rigmates...
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RED-BREASTED MERGANSER PAIRLevi RhodesTruex (1860-1934)
Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1900
17 1/2 in. long
A refined hollow rigmate pair of the maker's best species. Each remains in fine original condition, which is...
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THE SURACE FEEDING PLOVERObediah Verity(1813-1901)
Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1870
9 3/4 in. long
“Verity’s most distinctive form is a feeding shorebird, with its bulbous head bent down and forward, its...
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THE MULLER VERITY PEEP PAIRObediah Verity(1813-1901)
Seaford, Long Island, NY, c. 1880
6 3/4 in. long
This exceptional peep pair showcases identical form in two distinct plumages. The first is in a rarely seen darker-backed...
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EXEMPLARY DOWITCHERA. Elmer Crowell(1862-1952)
East Harwich, MA, c. 1910
12 1/2 in. long
A rare and important working Crowell dowitcher decoy displaying glass eyes, richly painted detail, and split-tail carving...
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THE MCCLEERY BOYD MERGANSER DRAKEGeorgeBoyd (1873-1941)
Seabrook, NH, c. 1910
18 ¾ in. long
“I had the good fortune of visiting with Jim McCleery on several occasions in his home in Texas. He was one of the...
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TUCKED-HEAD PINTAILHarold "Pappy" Kidwell(1895-1982)
Berkeley, CA, c. 1980
21 in. long
A market gunner who hunted in Sonoma County, Pappy then turned to making decoys and selling them to fellow hunters beginning...
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THORNE-RIG PEEPEdwin Thorne (1861-1935)Rig
Jamaica Bay, Long Island, NY, c. 1900
7 3/4 in. long
This decoy descended through the Thorne family to the past executive director of Ducks Unlimited, William Thorne,...
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LONG-TAILED DRAKECapt. Abe Smith
Freeport,NY, c. 1890
12 in. long
A rare diver drake with a clean and stylish paint similar to that of Joseph Lincoln. Carved by a Long Island oyster house owner, a related example...
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GOLDEN PLOVERMr. Webster
Nantucket,MA, c. 1850
10 in. long
This early plover with a sharp tail cut is among the best of its kind from the iconic Webster rig. It has resided on the island since it was made...
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EARLY HOLLOW FOLGER GOLDEN PLOVERFolgerFamily
Nantucket, MA, c. 1840
11 in. long
“Nantucket decoys are hard to come by and historically they are of great interest. Since they were used for relatively short periods...
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EXCEPTIONAL SWIMMING MERGANSERNorthShore, MA, c. 1890
17 1/2 in. long
This hollow swimming merganser is among the finest decoys discovered in decades. As this Massachusetts masterpiece makes its public debut,...
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GRAND CURLEWCharles Sumner Bunn (1865-1952)
Shinnecock,NY, c. 1900
17 1/2 in. long
In 1971 Milton Weiler’s “Classic Shorebird Decoys” portfolio was published with text by William J. Mackey Jr. Across from Weiler’s Plate...
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EARLY HUMPBACK BLACK DUCKThe Ward Brothers
LemuelT. (1896-1984) and Stephen (1895-1976)
Crisfield, MD, 1921
17 in. long
“Stephen W. Ward (1895-1976) and his brother Lemuel Travis Ward (1896-1984) of Crisfield, Maryland...
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THE HARMON RUNNING COBB CURLEWNathanF. Cobb Jr. (1825-1905)
Cobb Island, VA, c. 1880
15 1/2 in. long
“Every Nathan Cobb decoy had its own natural pose. Even his Hudsonian Curlews…seemed to run, feed, and...
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MINIATURE MALLARD PAIRHorace "Hi" Crandall(1892-1969)
Westwood, CA, c. 1930
7 in. long
A miniature pair displaying turned heads, deep bodies, and raised wing tips by one of California's most celebrated decoy carvers.
Original...
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COOTEd Snyder (1928-2011)
Rio Vista,CA, c. 1970
11 in. long
An excellent decorative by one of the Golden State's premier decoy makers. This hollow coot has finely incised wing detail, a super thin tail, and...
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MALLARD PAIRScott Cork Decoy Company(1927-1954)
Oakland, CA, c. 1930
15 in. long
Reece Scott (1871-1955) founded this company in Oakland. This influential California establishment specialized in the fabrication...
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CANVAS CACKLING GOOSEBurley Earl Russell(1891-1984)
Stockton, CA, c. 1935
22 in. long
Russell was one of the first to create the canvas-kapok decoys and was also the most accomplished. A talented carpenter and...
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MALLARD DRAKESan Francisco, CA, c. 1940
15in. long
This gouge-carved decoy relates to the work of John Tornberg (1902-1971) and may very well be the carver's later work. Tornberg lived in the Marina district of San...
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PINTAIL"Fresh Air Dick" Janson (1872-1951)
Sonoma,CA, c. 1915
18 in. long
A classic early Janson decoy with raised wing tips and a flat bottom. This decoy may have been used in Janson's early market-gunning rig prior to...
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PINTAIL PAIR"Fresh Air Dick" Janson(1872-1951)
Sonoma, CA, c. 1930
17 in. long
Recognized as one of California’s greatest decoy carvers, Janson was also a commercial fisherman, a ship carpenter, and a professional...
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PINTAIL PAIRLuigi Andreuccetti (1898-1978)
Vorden,CA, 1948
17 1/2 in. long
In the "The Great Book of Waterfowl Decoys," the West Coast contributor Gerald Rosenthal introduces Andreuccetti as "the Sacramento stylist." In...
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PINTAIL HENHorace "Hi" Crandall (1892-1969)
Westwood,CA, c. 1935
15 in. long
Crandall was an outdoorsman, a taxidermist, and a talented watercolor painter at a young age. After moving California in 1917, Crandall was an engineer...
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THE CRANDALL SLEEPY-EYED MALLARDHorace"Hi" Crandall (1892-1969)
Westwood, CA, c. 1935
15 in. long
One of California's best decoy carvers, Crandall is also considered by some to be its best painter. Born in Rhode...
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FLYING BRANTGeorge William McLellan(1897-1987)
Eureka, CA, c. 1941
24 in. long, 41 in. wingspan
One of only nine flying decoys originally created for this legendary rig. Few would argue that Bill McLellan’s...
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RARE WHIMBRELMason Decoy Factory (1896-1924)
Detroit,MI, c. 1910
16 1/2 in. long
A rare Mason Factory shorebird decoy with excellent form. In reference to this special model, which they call a Hudsonian Curlew or whimbrel,...
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BLUE-WINGED TEAL PAIR WITH "DOUBLE BLUES"MasonDecoy Factory (1896-1924)
Detroit, MI, c. 1905
12 1/4 in. long
An early rigmate pair of premier-grade teal. Each has classic early Mason form with snakey heads and long bills....
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IMPORTANT PINTAIL DRAKEAndrew A. Tull(1840-1915)
Philadelphia, PA, c. 1856
17 1/2 in. long
An exceptional Delaware River pintail drake, this example is a regional archetype quite distinct in form from other...
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RARE LESSER YELLOWLEGSA. Elmer Crowell(1862-1952)
East Harwich, MA, c. 1910
9 1/2 in. long
Crowell author and historian Brian Cullity states, "The lesser yellowlegs was a relatively uncommon species to be used...
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DECOY RELATED LOTLot of duck and birdrelated items including: Pair of pottery birds signed Susan Davis; carved cardinal; shorebird signed COB; 12 inch wooden shore bird; golf club head & miniature mallard decoys;...
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THREE CARVED PAINTED WOOD DECOY RELATEDARTICLES Attributed to Madison Mitchell, includes; hen decoy mounted on lamp base, 16 1/2 in. H., and two miniature decoys, on attached bases, 6 1/2 in. L....
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