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Welcome to Decoy-Dux, specializing in quality representative antique, vintage and contemporary duck, goose and shorebird decoys and carvings, as well as miniatures, books, paintings and other related collectibles.
D0946: Trulock & Harriss Wood Pigeon Decoy, Circa 1880s
Unusually clean example of a classic wood pigeon decoy from the famous gunsmith firm of Trulock & Harriss, Suffolk, England, circa 1880s. Their decoys are considered to be the premier examples of English wood pigeons known. This example is finely crafted with overall feather carving, checkered breast and throat feathers, deeply carved edging on the wing coverts, carved and raised primaries, a fluted tail, glass eyes and a carved cere at the base of the wooden bill. The softly-blended paint with an excellent patina is strong and original other than some touch up paint on the bill which is also original but has been broken off at the face and skillfully reattached. This is the first and only T&H pigeon I've seen with either a carved cere or wooden bill. The decoy is also somewhat shorter and more slender than their more common examples, measuring 13 1/2" from tip of tail to tip of bill. Nonetheless, it is by the same carver as the majority of the T&H decoys. It is my assumption that it is a very early model whose wooden bill turned out to be too fragile, resulting in the use of the poured lead bills seen in their subsequent decoys. In general, it is more refined in form than most od their pigeons. Perhaps the term, "svelte", is most appropriate. Although who carved these decoys for Trulock and Harriss is not known, a strong argument can be made that the birds were made by the same craftsmen tasked with making the gunstocks for the gunsmith's primary product, perhaps on a seasonal basis or as a filler during slack periods.
Price: $2095.00
D0935: Early Feeding Irish Wood Pigeon Decoy, Circa 1890s
Early and folky feeding wood pigeon decoy by an unknown carver, found in and and possibly from the Belfast area of Northern Ireland, circa 1890s. As often seen in early wood pigeon decoys, the decoy is laminated with attached wings and a 1" thick addition to the belly of the bird. Except for touchup to the face and bill which may be an excellent professional replacement, it is in original paint showing an aged patina with white feathering along the edges of the wings, a white collar at the neck and a white ring at the base of the bill. Measuring 14" in length, it has tack eyes and an attached iron swivel stand. A line attached to the small staple set under the bill was used to give a bobbing or feeding motion to the tail-heavy decoy.
Price: $795.00
D0931: Early George G. Bussey Co. Wood Pigeon Decoy By Mr. Z
Very fine solid-bodied English wood pigeon decoy with yellow glass eyes and its original inset metal bill. Circa late 1st quarter of the 20th century, it is a very early example from the Geo. G. Bussey Co., one of London’s premier sporting goods dealers, The company was founded by George Gibson Bussey (1829-1889) around 1860 and remained in business in London's Peckham district until the late 1940s. Recent research (see "What's In A Name", Hunting & Fishing Collectibles Magazine, Nov-Dec 2019, Pgs 40-46) indicates that these decoys were made for Bussey by an unknown Yorkshire carver I've dubbed "Mr. Z". This decoy has deeply carved shoulders and wing outlines with a carved and fluted tail. Measuring 15" in length and 4 1/2" across the shoulders, it is in excellent original paint, done in he species' breeding plumage. As was the case with many early pigeon decoys, the body was made of multiple pieces. In this case, the bottom of the breast is a 1" thick lamination. Stand included.
Price: $995.00
Wood Pigeon Decoy Article: English Wood Pigeon Decoys 101, A Primer
Viewable here at no charge. An introductory article I have written on English wood pigeon decoys, published in the March-April 2015 issue of Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine. If you would like to subscribe to or purchase a copy of the magazine itself, please contact Stan Van Etten, Publisher, at HFCollectibles.com. The article is posted as written; however further research has resulted in some changes in the identification of several carvers. Two later articles on wood pigeon decoys are also posted on my (this) website, each containing current identifications and information.
Wood Pigeon Decoy Article: Yorkshire School of English Wood pigeon Decoys
Viewable here at no charge. An article I have written on the wood pigeon decoys of various carvers of the Yorkshire school, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. published in the November - December 2019 issue of Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine. If you would like to subscribe to or purchase a copy of the magazine itself, please contact Stan Van Etten, Publisher, at HFCollectibles.com.
Wood Pigeon Decoy Article: The British Are Coming!
Viewable here at no charge. An article I have written on the wood pigeon decoys of Harry Boddy and Ted Grace, published in the January - February 2017 issue of Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine. If you would like to subscribe to or purchase a copy of the magazine itself, please contact Stan Van Etten, Publisher, at HFCollectibles.com.
D0894: Ted Grace Feeding English Wood Pigeon Decoy, Circa 1952
Feeding wood pigeon decoy by Edward Arthur "Ted" Grace, Walderslade, Kent, United Kingdom, circa 1952. The bird, painted in fall plumage, is in original feather paint with light wear. It has screw eyes set in separate grommets to simulate eye rings, a cast metal beak and relief carved shoulders. The pigeon is hollowed from below with an inset metal plate marked "Pat. 431190" (Issued to Grace's mentor, Harry Boddy in 1935) to hold the included metal spike for setting the decoy in the ground. The decoy measures 14.5" in length and 4" in width. It was made in two pieces with a convex lower piece of wood cut from the body. That piece had the center cut out by jig saw to form an elongated "horse collar" hollow and was then nailed back onto the body. This method was found to be easier to accomplish than otherwise hand-hollowing the one-piece decoy from below as seen in earlier examples. There is a clasp at the back of the tail to secure the spike when stored in the hollow body. The hollowed body allowed a light breeze to cause the decoys to bob up and down, effectively simulating live feeding birds. Stand included.
Price: $435.00
D0862: Early Unknown Cheshire English Wood Pigeon
Very nice wood pigeon decoy by an unknown English carver, circa 1920s - 1930s. Hunted on a farm in Cheshire, UK, it is likely from that area. The decoy is in very good original condition with glass eyes and carved raised wings. A gouge was used on the underside to partially hollow out the decoy, presumably to make it lighter so it would move in the wind when mounted on a stake. A big, broad-backed decoy, it measures 5 " across the shoulders and 13 1/2" in length. There is a tight age split running from the bird's crown to the back (see third photo). Hand-whittled with knife marks visible, variations in size and structure between this decoy and its rigmate, D0861, lead me to believe that they were carved by a hunter for his personal use rather than by a commercial maker. The last photo shows this decoy along with its rigmate, available separately. The two exhibit an individuality not always seen in their commercially produced counterparts, a sort of “swagger”, if you will! Stand not included.
Price: $495.00
