Massachusetts - Decoys

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...

Folk Art Preening White Winged Scoter Decoy by Reggie Birch, circa 2000, in the manner of a Gus Wilson Monhegan Island decoy, hand carved of white cedar with neck and head turned back to preen feathers on the back, with carved detail to eyes, bill nares, inlet neck, raised wings and upswept tail; the paint is deliberately distressed and aged to produce a striking patina. The wood is as dried as an antique, and the decoy has been worked to appear well used in the field. One would never suspect this was not an actual antique if not for the prominent signature on the bottom. Reggie Birch is a renowned award-winning decoy carver from Chincoteague Island...

Pat Gardner Carved and Decorated Spotted Sandpiper, 1977, a rare Nantucket "peep" hand carved and painted by island folk artist Pat Gardner, mounted with iron wire legs on a driftwood stump, signed and dated on the belly. The bird remains in excellent condition except for the short bill... this peep in life would have a pretty long bill. The legs mount loosely in the driftwood. Mary Patricia Gardner was born and lived her whole life on Nantucket. She studied under Frank Swift Chase...

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...

Carved Natural Plover by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, circa 1970, a carved wooden plump plover in natural wood finish, with wire legs, mounted on a driftwood base. This style is well known on Nantucket and is typically unsigned, but unmistakably Pat's work and is 100% guaranteed. The sculpture is in excellent condition. 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...

Carved and polychromed plover by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, 1974, a carved wooden plump plover with delicately painted plumage and wire legs, mounted on a driftwood stump, signed and dated on the belly. The sculpture is in great condition with only a tiny rub to the tip of the beak, and a fingerprint sized smudge to the white on the lower left side. 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...

Carved and Polychromed Killdeer by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, 1973, a carved wooden alert shorebird with delicately painted plumage, glass eyes and wire...

Early Chesapeake Bay Scaup Drake sink box wing decoy, possibly by Ira Hudson or family, circa 1910, a very shallow flat bodied decoy with black head, carved...

Early Chesapeake Bay Red Head Drake "John Duck" sink box wing decoy, circa 1930, a very shallow flat bodied decoy in original condition with hole drilled through back and smoothly er...

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, ...

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

Antique Mason Standard Grade Painted Eye Mallard Hen Decoy, circa 1910, having head with carved and painted eyes, attached to solid carved body with slightly protruding breast. In mo...