Mid-20th Century Decoys

Graceful stylized circa 1940 life-size swan decoy with original distressed white paint. Wonderful sculptural art piece for a buffet or console table.

Vintage Red Breasted Merganser Drake Decoy, circa 1960s - 1970s, a hand carved and hand painted red breasted merganser drake decoy in a swimming posture with slightly turned and canted head, with carved crest, bill mandible and nares, glass eyes, bold black and white paint with red highlights. Beautiful decoy done in the racy Canadian Maritimes style. The posture with head both slightly turned to the left, and slightly canted or cocked to the left as well, is a delightful tricked learned from the great Maine decoy...

Lark Decoy. Charachterful 20th Century Owl Decoy, used for attracting Larks. Hand Painted, Mixed media, Metal, Tin, Canvas and string (wings) which operate ...

Pair of unusual mid 20th Century zinc or tin decoy shorebirds, original paint. Later stands France Circa 1950.

Carved and Painted Black Duck Decoy, by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, circa 1960s, a carved wooden working decoy style black duck with head set well back on shelf in the content posture, with carved mandible and nares, on plump body with paddle tail, signed M.P. Gardner Nantucket on the bottom, and retaining an old sticker inscribed "Gaillard." This is believed to be the only duck decoy that Pat ever made. amongst all her shorebird carvings. The decoy is extremely heavy, as if carved from a solid block of lignum vitae, ebony or the like. Mary Patricia Gardner was born and lived her whole life on Nantucket. She studied under Frank Swift Chase, Ruth Haviland Sutton and Earl S. Ray, and was influenced by her grandfather Wallace Gardner, who was a trained sculptor. She became a member of the Artists Association of Nantucket in 1947. She was best known for her shorebird carvings, but also worked in watercolor and printmaking. She is viewed as one of the greater talents of her generation on Nantucket. Her work is highly sought after but only rarely appears on the market. This bird is from the personal collection of the late Nantucket antiques...

Working Shorebird decoy, naive, however the carver has captured the sculptural silhouette remarkably well. Carved and painted wood, with iron bill. Later iron display stand. Aigues M...

Pair of primitive working shorebird decoys, both with iron bills or beaks, carved painted wood. As expected wear and paint loss. Baie de Somme France C...

Working owl decoy, carved and painted wood, some minor losses and paint loss. France Circa 1950. Later Metal Stand. Measurement inc stand.

Antique Widgeon Drake Decoy, circa 1940, by J. Elmer Crowell, East Harwich, MA (1862 - 1952), a hand carved and painted Widgeon or Baldpate drake decoy, ...

Trio of small carved and painted wood shorebird or dipper decoys. Later bespoke stands. Baie de Somme France Circa 1960. Measurement for largest decoy inc stand

Early 20th Century Working Black Grouse Decoy, As expected wear. Straw stuffed Fabric Sweden Circa 1950

Vintage Cape Cod Loon Confidence Decoy, circa 1940s, a working decoy in summer plumage, having a hand whittled cedar body, slightly turned head, glass...