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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.
D0951: Rare Stephan Badlam Oldsquaw Decoy, Circa 1875
Rare Stephan Badlam (1822-1892) oldsquaw decoy, circa 1875. Badlam, from Dorchester, Massachusetts, came from a family of Boston cabinetmakers. The tack-eyed decoy with carved nostrils and mandible is in original paint with moderate flaking and wear. There are several small spots of touchup on the neck aa well as some old filler on the underside from before the decoy was varnished. The decoy is darkened slightly by an old coat of varnish and is branded "S.B." on the underside where an inlet lead weight is held in place by two hand-wrought nails. It measures 11" in length. Badlam's decoys were unknown to collectors until a rig of seven were featured in Richard Bourne's July 1987 auction. This decoy was Lot No. 94, selling for $3100.00. The consignor's father had purchased them for his own hunting rig from Elizabeth Nichols, Badlam's great niece, in 1948. Jackson Parker, reporting on the auction, wrote that the Badlam decoys raised questions of who made them and when. All bore the block "S.B." brand, similar to one appearing on a table from the Badlam workshop, but were made with differences in form and finish, leading collectors to question whether they were made by the same carver over a period of time or by different carvers from the workshop. Regardless, they will be referred to as Badlam decoys until evidence to the contrary emerges. One of these decoys was pictured on the 1999 Massachusetts Waterfowl Stamp. SOLD
D0949: Dowitcher Decoy, Theodore Rogers Rig, Jamaica Bay, Circa 1875
Rare and excellent early dowitcher decoy in an unusual wedge shape from the Theodore Rogers rig, Jamaica Bay, Long Island, New York, circa 1875. The 11" long decoy in fall plumage is in strong original paint with very minor wear and retains its original splined bill. It is branded "T. Rogers" on the bottom. Rogers (1831-1903), a banker in New York City, was a member of numerous gunning clubs, including the Jamaica Club, The Bellport Gun Club, the Aldine Club and the Lyndach Club. It is not known whether or not Rodgers carved any of the plump, tucked head shorebirds, considered among the finest of the Long Island shorebird decoys, or they were made by another individual or individuals. Ex-collection, Charlie Hunter III. Stand included.
Price: $5275.00
D0962: Robert Lange Wood Pigeon Decoy, Circa 1890s
Very nice wood pigeon decoy by Robert Lange, Yorkshire, UK, circa 1890s. Lange's decoys were limited in production and are some of the finest early decoys the UK has to offer. This example is his slick-sided model with no wing or shoulder carving. Exhibiting an excellent patina, it is in strong original paint showing only minor wear with mottled breast, neatly scalloped neck patches and fluid but precisely applied wing markings. A solid-bodied decoy with high quality glass eyes, it measures 12" in length and is roughly 3" thick. There is a chip missing on the tail, and the bill is a professional replacement. Stand included. SOLD
Price: $795.00
D0958: Grainger McKoy (Sumter, S.C.) Canvasback Drake Decoy, Dated 1967
Hollow canvasback drake decoy with painted eyes by noted carver and sculptor Grainger McKoy, Sumter, South Carolina, signed and dated. McKoy is recognized as one of America's foremost wildlife sculptors. He has been honored with exhibitions at major museums an galleries and his work is included in public and private collections throughout the country. This decoys an early work by McKoy, carved while he was a student at Clemson University in 1967. It is made from three laminations, measuring 13 1/2" in length, 6" in width and standing 7 1/2" tall at the head. It is in excellent structural condition with the wing tips are carved in outline. The original paint is highly detailed, showing only minor wear. Also included is a copy of "The Sculpture of Grainger McKoy" (James Kilgo, 1999, 64 pages, softcover) signed by McKoy. SOLD
D0955: Swimming Canada Goose Decoy, Probably New Jersey
Very nice hollow-bodied swimming Canada goose decoy by an unknown carver from the mid-Atlantic region (probably New Jersey), circa 2nd quarter, 20th century. The body of the decoy was roughed out and finished by spoke shave with the facets of the cuts remaining visible. The decoy appears to have seen little use, but there is separation at the seam of the body and bottom board. It is in original paint other than for touchup at the around the neck seat. Measuring 27" in length, it is a rigmate to D0954 listed and available separately. SOLD
D0960: Exceptional Robert Lange English Wood Pigeon Decoy, Circa 1900
Exceptional English wood pigeon decoy by Robert Lange, Yorkshire, UK, circa late 1800s to early 1900s. These decoys were limited in production and are some of the finest early decoys the UK has to offer. This decoy is carved in Lange's finest style with extended split wing tips, deeply carved wings and shoulders and a full breast. Exhibiting an excellent patina, it is in excellent original paint showing only minor wear with mottled breast, neatly scalloped neck patches and fluid but precisely applied wing markings.. A solid-bodied decoy with high quality glass eyes, it measures 13" in length and is roughly 3.5" thick. Retaining its original bill, it has been lightly hit by shot and has a tight crack it its tail. One would be hard pressed to find a finer example by this important maker. Stand included.
Price: $1395.00
D0954: Unknown Mid-Atlantic Region Preening Canada Goose, Circa 2Q, 20C
Very nice hollow-bodied preening Canada goose decoy by an unknown carver from the mid-Atlantic region (probably New Jersey), circa 2nd quarter, 20th century. The body of the decoy was roughed out and finished by spoke shave with the facets of the cuts remaining visible. The decoy appears to have seen little use, but there is separation at the seam of the body and bottom board. It is in original paint other than for touchup at the junction of the head and body. Measuring 21" in length, it is a rigmate to D0955 listed and available separately. SOLD
M379: Exceptional Great Horned Owl Decoy, Circa Mid-20th Century
Exceptional great horned owl decoy by an unknown carver, circa mid-20th century. Probably influenced by Herter's popular owls of the mid-1940s to mid-1950s but made from cedar rather than balsa, this fine example has deeply carved wing and shoulder outlines, a claw beak, leather ears and glass eyes. A large decoy (20" high, 9" wide, 6" deep and weighing 7 pounds) showing only light wear, it is in original feather paint with no repairs or touch up. There is a mounting plate attached under the legs as this decoy was made for the field, not the mantle. There is a sticker on the back of the decoy attesting to the inclusion of this fine carving in an auction conducted by Richard Oliver in the 1980s or early 1990s. Owl decoys were used by hunters to bring crows, their mortal enemies, into shotgun range. Stand included. SOLD
