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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.
M299: Miniature Chief Cuffee Mallard Decoy
Miniature drake mallard duck decoy by Eugene "Chief" Cuffee (1866-1941), Southampton, Long Island, New York. Cuffee was born on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation and lived there his entire life. He was a guide for well-to-do hunters visiting the area, a carver of both working decoys and decoratives and a sought-after trainer of upland bird dogs. During slow times, he augmented his income by painting houses. This carving is circa 1920's and measures approximately 8-1/2" from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail and stand 4-3/4" high. It is solid-bodied and exhibits Cuffee's trademark carved raised wingtips, one of which is missing a small chip at the end. The bird has painted tack eyes, each with a painted white "catch-light" and is in excellent original paint with minor wear except for a small area of touch-up around a professional repair to a tight crack in the neck. SOLD
D0765: Mark Kears Canada Goose Decoy
Very nice hollow-bodied Canada goose with painted tack eyes and inlet lead weight by Mark Kears, Linwood, NJ, circa 1920s. The decoy is in excellent dry original paint showing minor wear, a nice patina and light crazing. It is protected by an old, possibly original, coat of varnish. Other than a slight separation at the body seam, the bird is in excellent structural condition with no cracks or repairs. It measures 24" in length, 8" in width and stands 11-1/2" high at the head. He was a mentor and neighbor of Gene Hendrickson, but Kear's decoys are earlier and much more difficult to find in original paint. SOLD
M324: Leo McIntosh Green-Winged Teal Drake Decoy
Fine carving of a green-winged teal drake by Leo H. McIntosh, Jr. (1953 - 2007), Stony Creek Decoys, Woodville, New York, circa 1986. Recognized as one of the best contemporary carvers before his untimely death, Leo apprenticed with Ken Harris for five years before founding Stony Creek Decoys. This teal is in near-mint vermiculated feather paint with only two slight rubs on the edges of the bill. Its head, with high quality glass eyes, is turned about 15 degrees to the right and is finely feather textured. The bird exhibits relief wing and shoulder carving with raised wing tips, a fluted tail with carved feathers, well-developed body musculature and a well detailed bill. The carving measures 11" in length and is 4 1/2" high. It is signed "Leo H. McIntosh" on the bottom. It is sure to please the advanced collector! SOLD
D0763: English Wood Pigeon Decoy by Harry Earnest Boddy
Solid-bodied English wood pigeon decoy with screw eyes set in separate grommets to simulate eye rings by Harry Earnest Boddy of St. Kilda, Chatham, Kent, United Kingdom, circa 1930s. A full-bodied decoy with relief-carved wings showing moderate flaking and wear, the pigeon is in original paint except for the white areas which have old in-use touch up and the bill which appears to be a well-crafted replacement. I have seen some pigeon decoys by Boddy that were half-bodied with cast metal bills and hollowed from below with an inset metal plate and spike marked "Pat. 431190" (Issued to Boddy in 1934) for setting the decoy in the ground. This decoy measures 14" in length and 4" in width, the same size as the half-bodied models. The relatively large number of these decoys made in several styles that I have encountered leads me to believe they were sold commercially and in quantity. As seen in the last photo, this one is marked "18/6" in pencil on the bottom which I believe indicated a sales price of 18 shillings, 6 pence. Stand not included. SOLD
M323: Richard & Marion Harris Vintage Miniature Pheasant Pair
Pair of miniature ring-neck pheasants with painted eyes by Richard and Marion Harris, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, circa 2nd quarter, 20th century. Each bird measures slightly over 8" in length. Including the 13" long base, the piece is about 6-1/4" high. Both pheasants display detailed feather paint with the hen showing somewhat more fading and wear than the cock. There are relief-carved side feathers on each where the tails meet the bodies. They are mounted to the base by means of wire legs and have feet painted onto the base where mounted. The drake has what appears to be an in-the-making splice near the middle of the tail. Richard and Marion worked for Ted Mullican at Wildfowler from the mid-1940s until the late-1950s when they started their own company, Harris Wild Duck Decoys. They continued in business through the 1970s with Richard doing the carving and Marion the painting. SOLD
M321: Antique Relief-Carved Moose Head
What is it? Antique relief-carved moose head with high quality glass eyes, circa early 1900's. It stands 3-1/2" high and is 1-7/8" in diameter. A 7/8" diameter hole is drilled down through the top to a depth of of about 2" while another hole slightly over 1/4" in diameter is drilled horizontally with a slight downward slope into the back of the cylinder below the depth of the larger chamber. The two drillings are linked vertically by a third hole about 1/8" in diameter. The first thing that comes to mind is that the carving was intended as the bowl of a large pipe. It shows a "polish" from being handled as one might expect from a well-used favorite pipe; however, the larger chamber which might have held the tobacco shows no charring or other sign of having been used as such. Perhaps it was used as a match holder or toothpick holder. Whatever it was intended to be, it is a well crafted and item, obviously cherished by its owner. There are three raised areas on the carving that each have what appear to be single initials relief carved on the surfaces. Although worn from handling and difficult to read, the two on the side might be an"L" and a "T" while the one on the back might be a "T". Perhaps it was made for "LT" by "T". There is an age split on one side, running from the top about half way down the cylinder. SOLD
M322: E. B. Worthley Miniature Hissing Canada Goose
Superb miniature hissing or feeding Canada goose carved by E. B. Worthley, Bayshore, Long Island, New York, circa 3rd quarter, 20th century. The goose measures just over 6" in length from the tail to the tip of the bill and stands 3" tall, including the oak base. It is branded "Worthley" and "E. B. Worthley" on the base. The form is excellent, faithfully recreating the musculature and form of the live bird, from the extended neck to the extended tail and raised wing tips. Tiny glass eyes and finely detailed bill carving complete the sculpture. The original feather paint was accomplished with great skill and attention to detail, resulting in a most lifelike carving. As seen in the last photo, there is a small chip missing from the lower wing tip and a fine crack in the gesso of the right thigh. SOLD
D0762: Jake Ferreira Pintail Drake
Excellent solid-bodied pintail drake with tack eyes by Joseph A. "Jake" Ferreira (1904-1981) of Newark, California, circa 1935. Jake was known as one of the area's most stylish and inventive decoy carvers, making nearly one thousand most remarkable pintail decoys to be used by hunting clubs in San Francisco's South Bay in the 1930's and 1940's. Nothing similar to his decoys is to be found elsewhere in the West. Although Ferreira used patterns, each decoy is slightly different from the others, yet they shared the characteristics of raised wingtips in a Delaware River style, thin necks and simple but effective paint patterns. This decoy, measuring 19" in length and a full 9" in height at the head, displays especially fine form with a streamlined body and an elegant high neck. The paint is all original except for a small area of touch up at a well-executed professional repair to a crack in the neck. The high quality brownish-green paint on the body of the decoy was "borrowed" by Jake while working at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. There is light chipping to the wing tips and tail tip with paint loss to those areas as well as some paint loss to small spots on one side of the tail, the crown of the head and the tip of the bill. There is also a tight and very slight age split in the back of the decoy. See pgs. 220 - 222, Wildfowl Decoys of the Pacific Coast, Miller and Hanson. SOLD
