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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.
D0776: Gradewell Last Co., Ltd., Wood Pigeon Decoy
Rare and excellent solid-bodied English wood pigeon decoy by The Gradewell Last Co., Ltd., of Leicester, England, circa 1930s. This is one of only two by this maker that I have seen, but I have heard of a pair being given as an award at a pigeon shoot in Leicester where they were made in the mid-1930s. Gradewell, a maker of wooden shoe lasts, was incorporated in 1912 and dissolved around 2004. The duplicating equipment used by the company for making shoe lasts made the manufacture of decoys a natural fit, but it is unknown whether this decoy was part of a special order, a regular product offering or a product made as a filler only during slow periods. Regardless, it is a high quality decoy that is heavier than most pigeon decoys, probably due to the use of the same hardwoods such as maple, hornbeam and beech that the company used in last production. These hardwoods were chosen because they were free of knots, cut cleanly with no fraying and were unlikely to split. This resulting decoy is well formed with crisply incised wings and shoulders and is smoothly finished with no blemishes to the wood. The paint on the 14-inch long bird is skillfully applied in the breeding plumage and has achieved a fine patina. It has white glass eyes and an inset wooden bill, all of which are original to the decoy. The paint at the juncture of the bill and face is cracked around the perimeter of the bill which is nonetheless securely set and undamaged. Embossed on the bottom of the decoy is "Gradewell Last Co. Ltd, Leicester, Eng". See my other website, www.woodpigeondecoys.com, dedicated to the identification and documentation of these decoys and their carvers for additional information. SOLD
D0773: Harry Boddy Wood Pigeon Decoy
Wood pigeon decoy by Harry Earnest Boddy, Walderslade, Kent, United Kingdom, circa 1935. The bird, painted in fall plumage, is in lightly worn original paint with a very fine patina and has been hit with shot. As with all of Boddy's birds, it has screw eyes set in separate grommets to simulate eye rings, a cast metal beak and relief carved shoulders. The decoy measures 13-1/2" in length and 4" in width. Boddy was probably the most prolific of the English carvers, enjoying a career that probably began in the early 1930s and ran approximately until WWII. Overall, the paint on his decoys was the most artfully accomplished of the commercially produced wood pigeon decoys, with flowing brush strokes, subtle shading and elaborate wet-on-wet blending. The name of W. R. Grace of Kent also comes up in connection with these wood pigeons. One scenario has Kent purchasing Boddy's business in the 1940s, continuing it with only one change; the decoy necks and heads became narrower and more tapered (See last photo). This decoy is of the older and larger style pictured on the right of the photo. Another possibility is that Grace was involved much earlier, perhaps even from the start, either as a partner or as the principal with Boddy being only the patentee of the mounting system. Stand not included. SOLD
D0770: TRU-ISS Wood Pigeon Decoy
Very rare hollow English wood pigeon decoy made for the gunsmith firm of H. Trulock & Harriss, London, U.K., circa 1912. Made from a cast and chased aluminum alloy, it was patterned after wooden examples made for the famous gunmaker around the turn of the 20th century. The wooden versions are felt by many collectors to be the best examples of English wood pigeon extant. This decoy is in excellent original paint, portraying the bird's breeding plumage. It was made in three pieces; an upper body, a lower body and a spring-mounted head. The interiors of the upper and lower body halves of this decoy are each marked in pencil with Roman numeral ones (I), presumably to match up the proper halves so the painted plumage patterns would match. It is possible that the number one indicates this particular example was in fact the first decoy bird made in this pattern by the company. An integral wire stake is attached, designed along with the "bobble-head"to add motion to a set of birds. Cast true to the form of the wooden examples, these decoys have strongly emphasized shoulders and detailed primary and tail feathers. This particular decoy appears to be an early example of what was called the Tru-Iss decoy. It has impressed metal eyes and the wording "PATENT APPLIED". Later Tru-Iss examples had glass eyes, were marked "HARRISS'S PATENT No. 21550". The later version also showed an address of "PICKERING PLACE, ST. JAMES STREET, LONDON". While i cannot make out the address on this earlier example, it was not Pickering Place. The paint on later examples was an overall charcoal grey with a light rose tone to the breast. This pigeon measures 13 1/2" in length, 5" across at the shoulders and roughly 4" in depth, exclusive of the head. SOLD
D0769: Feeding English Wood Pigeon Decoy, Circa 1935
Feeding wood pigeon decoy by Harry Earnest Boddy, Walderslade, Kent, United Kingdom, circa 1935. The bird, painted in fall plumage, is in worn original paint with a very fine patina. It has screw eyes set in separate grommets to simulate eye rings, a cast metal beak and relief carved shoulders. It has been lightly hit with shot. The pigeon is hollowed from below with an inset metal plate marked "Pat. 431190" (Issued to Boddy in 1935) to hold a spike (missing} for setting the decoy in the ground. There is a clasp at back of tail to secure the folded spike. According to the patent documents, "...under the action of wind, it (the designed means of attachment) simulates the action of a feeding bird". The hollowed portion of the body in these decoys is made from a second piece of wood, nailed to the of the upper body. This second piece is curved on top to fit a corresponding concave curve in the upper piece. The decoy measures 14" in length and 4" in width. The name of W. R. Grace of Kent also comes up in connection with these wood pigeons. One scenario has Kent purchasing Boddy's business in the 1940s, continuing it with only one change; the decoy necks and heads became narrower and more tapered (See last photo). This decoy is of the older and larger style pictured on the right of the photo. Another possibility is that Grace was involved much earlier, perhaps even from the start, either as a partner or as the principal with Boddy being only the patentee of the mounting system. Stand not included. SOLD
D0766/0767: Pair of John Roth Bluebill Decoys
Very nice matched rigmate pair of bluebills by John Roth (1885-1948), Oshkosh, Wisconsin, circa 1920s. Both decoys have high "cheeky" heads with glass eyes, painted nostrils, deeply carved mandibles and a bold, stylized paint pattern. Both are in original paint with stippled feathering on the backs. The drake has a few shot scars and an age split running down the back from the breast while the hen has an age split on the right side. They are otherwise in excellent structural condition with the heads firmly seated. Neither decoy has any repairs. Roth is recognized as one of Wisconsin's better early carvers and is featured in Ron Koch's book, "Decoys of the Winnebago Lakes".
SOLD
M324: Alain MacDonald Quebec Decoy Plaques
Pair of wall plaques featuring glass-eyed, half-bodied, chip-carved canvasback drake and bluebill drake decoys by Alain de Lotbiniere (Bebe) MacDonald (1886-1961), circa 2nd quarter, 20th century. MacDonald was from Rigaud in southwestern Quebec, near Montreal. He is recognized as an important Quebec artist and carver, not only for the quantity and quality of his work, but also for his influence on other craftsmen. After serving in the Canadian army during WWI, Bebe worked for Robin Last Shoe Factory before opening studios in Rigaud and Montreal. He made fine and highly sought-after decoys as well as his folk art wall plaques and was known for his meticulous decoy heads and precision in painting, both of which characteristics are on display in these plaques. Each plaque is set in a shadowbox-style frame measuring 11 1/2" x 10" x 2". Both ducks have carved primaries, fluted tails, detailed bill carving and scratch-feather detailing on the backs. They measure approximately 8" in length and 4-1/4" high at the head. There is light wear to the paint on the shadowbox frames as well as some age-spotting on the backgrounds of each plaque. The bluebill is signed A. de L. MacDonald. Each plaque is labeled on the back as to species, gender and plumage phase. SOLD
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
