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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.
M196: Ernie Muehlmatt Baltimore Oriole
Original carving of a 5 1/2"-long Baltimore oriole by Ernie Muehlmatt of Salisbury, Maryland, circa 1974. Exceptionally fine original paint with great musculature, wing and feather carving and ultra-realistic painted eyes. The carving is in mint condition except for a small chip to the gesso at the bottom of the bird's right thigh. Designed to hang on a wall, the carving is inscribed in ink on the back, "E.F. Muehlmatt, Oriole, 12/74". Muehlmatt (1927-2016), three-time Ward World Champion (1979, 1981, 1984), began carving in 1967 and was a master of life-size and miniature decorative wood sculpture, becoming one of the most talented, sought after and popular carvers in wildfowl art. His work can be found in the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury, Maryland, and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin. He is a Member of the Carvers' Hall of Fame and owned and operated Muehlmatt Studios in Salisbury. SOLD
M289: Miniature Bob White Quail Family
Miniature hand-carved Bob White quail with three chicks on driftwood, circa 3rd quarter, 20th century. The carving is unsigned and the maker is unknown. It is in original condition with detailed feather paint on each bird. The adult with turned head measures about 3 1/2" in length and stands about 3 1/4" high while each chick is approximately 1 1/2" in length. Overall, the piece is just over 13" in length. SOLD
M290: Runar Rodell Mallard Diorama
Excellent diorama by Runar G. Rodell (1898 - 1983), Prescott, Arizona, of a hen mallard on the shore calling to two drakes and a hen pitching in, circa 1950s. Born in Sweden, Rodell moved to the U.S. when in his thirties, opening a studio around 1935 in Wilmette, Illinois, before finally settling in Prescott around 1950. Each diorama he created was one-of-a-kind and offered a window into the natural wonders of his world. He combined oil-painted backgrounds and basswood carvings with natural materials inside a glass-covered box to create an outdoor scene. This diorama is in original condition and of the highest quality with the roughly 2-1/2" mallards exhibiting finely detailed painted plumage. The 22" x 22" x 3 1/2" deep frame (15" x 15" glass size) is pine. The work is signed in the lower left foreground, but the backboard, which is original, is unsigned and does not bear a label. Rodell's three-dimensional showcases are coveted collectors' items not only in museums around the country, but also were sought after by such celebrities as President Ronald Reagan, Andy Devine and Bing Crosby. One of his best customers was comedian Bob Hope. SOLD
D0688: Ben Yeargan Mallard Drake Decoy, Circa 1932
Very stylish hollow-bodied, glass-eyed mallard drake in original condition by Ben Yeargan (1896 - 1973) of North St. Louis, Missouri. It has minor wear with a few scrapes and a well blended professional repair to a crack in the neck. The keel weight has been removed. Ben's initials, "B.Y.", are painted under the bill. Standing 7 1/2" high and 7" in width, the 16"-long decoy's head is turned slightly to the right. Yeargan, for many years a sports writer for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, is one of Missouri’s most famous decoy carvers. He hunted the Missouri River just above where the Missouri and the Mississippi converge. He made 2 rigs of decoys, one in 1932 and one in 1938. This decoy is from the earlier rig. It included over 20 canvasbacks and about 12 pairs of mallards. This decoy is pictured Collecting Bird Decoys and Duck Calls, Luckey & Lewis, pg. 116. SOLD
D0744, William Jaggard English Wood Pigeon Decoy
English wood pigeons have garnered the well-deserved attention of American collectors. Similar in time frame to North American waterfowl and shorebird decoys, they have been used in the United Kingdom since the latter half of the 1800s with examples ranging from the deeply carved examples sold by Trulock and Harriss and R. W. Ward to the more stylized slick-bodied examples of Robert Lange and William Jaggard. This excellent decoy was carved by William Jaggard of Elveden, Suffolk, United Kingdom, circa 2nd quarter, 20th century. Lightly used with a pleasing patina, this stylish pigeon is just under 14" in length, 3.75" in width and 3" in depth at the breast. It has relief carved shoulders and wings, a cast metal bill and glass eyes. The full-bodied carving is in original paint depicting the species' fall plumage. Jaggard, who carved from roughly 1930 through the mid-1950s, continued the carving business of his father-in-law, James Rolph. Stand included. SOLD
M293, Exceptional Miniature Black Duck Decoy
Exceptionally well-executed miniature black duck, circa mid-20th century, carved at approximately one-third to one-half scale. It measures 8" in length and stands 3 3/4" high at the head. Although the carver is unknown, it is quite reminiscent of the miniatures made by the late Dr. George Ross Starr of Duxbury, Massachusetts, and sold in the Richard Bourne auction of his collection in 1986. The sculpted body displays carved wings with raised and separated wing tips, carved primaries and a fluted tail. The head is turned approximately 30 degrees to the left with glass eyes. The bill is quite detailed with carved separation from the head, nostrils and a raised nail. The original paint is beautifully detailed with overall scratch-feather paint on the body and finely applied feather paint on the head. There is a small amount of filler in the center of the lower breast, roughly the size of a quarter and about 3/16" deep. This filler was applied in-the-making, probably to remedy an overcut of the breast, and does not detract from the carving in the slightest. SOLD
D0741: Harry Pember Calling Black Duck Decoy
Outstanding calling black duck decoy by Harry Pember of Milford, Connecticut, circa 3rd quarter of the 20th century. Harry hunted with old friends, including Tom Marshall, the Disbrow brothers and Keith Mueller, using decoys he carved for his own use, including this fine working bird. Made from 3 layers of dense cork with an inset wooden tail, the decoy remains in excellent original condition with only a couple of very small nicks to the paint. It has very extremely detailed bill and mouth carving, glass eyes and scratch-feather paint on the head, which is turned about 10 degrees to the left. The bird measures roughly 20" in length, 8" in height, including the keel, and is 8" wide. SOLD
M286: Runar Rodell Canada Goose Diorama, Circa 1930s
Diorama of two Canada geese in a salt marsh setting by Runar G. Rodell, Wilmette, Illinois, circa 1930s. Rodell, born in Sweden in 1898, moved to the U.S. in his thirties, opening a studio around 1935 in Wilmette before finally settling in Prescott, AZ, around 1950. He died in 1983. His works usually incorporate oil-painted backgrounds and figures (people, animals, birds, buildings, etc.) carved from basswood with plant materials created from bits of natural vegetation in the foreground. Among his collectors were Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan. It is believed that all of his work made in Prescott had a paper studio label on the back, whereas his work from Illinois was simply signed on the back. This piece is in original condition with the roughly 2-1/2" geese exhibiting detailed painted plumage. Geese were a relatively rare subject matter for Rodell. It is signed "Original by R. Rodell, Canada Goose" on the back. The overall dimensions of the diorama are 12 3/4" x 15" with the glass measuring roughly 7 5/8" x 9 5/8". The oak case is 3 1/2" deep. The dark area at the top of the first two photos is the curved top surface of the diorama which is in shadow. SOLD
