An indigenous American artform, bird-shaped decoys have been crafted for centuries to lure waterfowl so hunters can shoot them for food, trade and sport. In recent decades, painted wood decoys also have become a sought-after collectible. The price for a large decoy crafted by an anonymous 19th Century carver in the shape of a running curlew, a shorebird, hit an unprecedented $335,500 at auction last year.
The earliest known wood decoys, more than 2,000 years old, were found in the Lovelock Cave in Nevada in 1924, according to Gene Kangas, a collector and dealer who has co-authored several books on the subject with his wife, Linda. These early decoys were made by North American Indians from multicolored dried grass, or tule, and woven with feathers, which reflected their basketmaking skills. Indians also made decoys from bird skins stuffed with tule.
The word decoy derives from ende-kooi, Dutch for duck cage, according to William J. Mackey Jr., author of “American Bird Decoys” (Schiffer Publishing, out of print). Immigrants hunting for food began to craft decoys from wood, typically cedar and pine, as early as the 1700s. They made them realistic in shape but hollowed them out to make them light enough to float, weighting the bottoms with metal to keep them upright.
Over time, differences in bird species and local conditions led to regional variations in material, size, body shape and decoration. For example, Robert A. Elliston invented the Illinois River style, with rounded bottoms and intricate painting, because freshwater did not destroy the wood and paint as much as saltwater did, says author Russ Goldberger, who also owns RJG Antiques in Hampton, N.H.
Drakes were more prevalent than female-duck decoys because the male birds are more colorful, Goldberger adds.
The golden era of decoy carving was from about 1875 to 1920.
Guides and those who hunted waterfowl to sell had made their own decoys customarily. By the late 19th Century, better guns and the growth of rail lines increased recreational hunting, and wealthy sportsmen began buying fine decoys from a cadre of carvers. Decoy factories also opened, says Kangas.
Many of the finest designs reflected the late 1880s’ introduction of Platt Rogers Spencer’s elaborate calligraphic flourishes, known as Spencerian script, according to the Kangases’ book “Decoys” (Collector Books, out of print). Although men carved decoys, women such as Edna Perdew sometimes painted them. Factory-made decoys were sometimes painted by hand.
After Congress banned the sale of migratory wildfowl in 1918, demand for decoys decreased, according to Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr.’s “Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region” (Schiffer Publishing, $24.95). Interest further dropped as decoys came to be made of plastic and fiberglass, which didn’t require painting, Goldberger said.
Decoy collecting has surged periodically, although it peaked about 12 years ago as some major buyers withdrew from the market, says Gary Guyette, whose firm Guyette & Schmidt Inc. in Farmington, Maine, sold the $335,500 curlew decoy.
What to look for
The best decoys have their original body parts and paint, although only 10 percent of decoys fit that category, Guyette says. “A lot of hunters needed to repaint them to fool the birds because of wear and tear from use. This is what we call `honest restoration,’ but you should know about it, since it lowers the price.”
Other types of minor and sometimes acceptable restoration include repair of chipped tails and replacement of putty filler used to join heads and bodies, Goldberger says.
One way to detect restoration work is to examine the decoy under ultraviolet or infrared light, which may reveal a difference in paint treatment, Guyette says. X-rays are more definitive, although not practical for inexpensive purchases.
Few decoys were signed, although Elmer Crowell, a Massachusetts decoymaker, stamped the ones he made once he became famous. Weights, however, were sometimes signed and some purchasers signed their decoys to track inventory.
Some pairs of decoys can be found. Kangas recently purchased two bluebill duck decoys by a Canadian carver he plans to sell for $3,000.
Whether a decoy was handmade or factory made will not affect price as much as quality will. The best decoys made by Mason Factory Decoys from 1896 to 1924 are among the most prized and, in good condition, may sell for $12,000 to $15,000, Guyette said.
Besides buying what you feel is authentic and aesthetically appealing, experts advise amateurs to focus on a specific type as a way to learn one genre well. Possibilities include decoys from a certain region, a certain species or a certain decorative type, such as miniatures or “decoratives,” life-size carvings used for display rather than for hunting.
Chicago collector Herb Desch, who hunts in Wisconsin, has focused on that area, specifically on decoys from Lake Winnebago and the Madison-Stoughton area; from the Evans Decoy Co. of Ladysmith, Wis.; and those associated with the Milwaukee Public Museum.
What to avoid
Avoid heavily restored and “married” decoys, especially those with new heads and major repainting. The amount of repair also should depend on the maker, Kangas says; for example, Mason Factory decoys often needed their tails fixed because of a flaw in the craftsmanship. Old Southern swans are rare because they were rarely hunted, Goldberger says.
Forecast
Few decoys fetch such staggering prices as that curlew purchased at Guyette & Schmidt. Usually, the best decoys average $1,500 to $2,000 and very nice ones run in the $400 to $500 range, Guyette said.
“It’s a fairly small group who actively buy and cause the prices to fluctuate by region, depending on what’s fashionable,” Guyette said.
For example, Illinois River decoys, which became very popular at the beginning of the decade, have dropped in price, while shorebird decoys from the Eastern Coast sell briskly. “One that brought $500 a few years ago might bring $700 now, and one that sold for $20,000 could bring $30,000,” Guyette says.
Care and maintenance
Most important is to keep decoys in a consistent humidity of 40 to 60 percent, because too much or too little moisture can dry, shrink and crack the wood. Keep sunlight low and handle the decoys as little as possible. “Dust only when absolutely necessary,” Goldberger advises.
To learn more
Several museums have good collections: the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center, 307 S. England St., Williamsburg, VA 23185, 757-229-1000; The Shelburne Museum, P.O. Box 10, U.S. Highway 7, Shelburne, VT 05482, 802-985-3344; The Museum at Stony Brook, 1208Highway 25A, Stony Brook, Long Island, NY 11790, 516-751-0066; and the Decoy Museum, 215 Giles St., Havre de Grace, MD 21078, 410-939-3739.
The best show is organized by the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association, of which Desch is president, and brings together 180 dealers in St. Charles every spring. Next year’s show will be April 23 and 24 at the Pheasant Run Resort. Admission is $5. An auction will be held April 22 and 23. For more information, call 312-337-7957 or write the association at P.O. 4110, St. Charles, IL 60174.
A host of good books are available. Some are out of print but can be found at libraries. In addition to those cited earlier, they include: “The Art of the Decoy” by Adele Earnest (Clarkson Potter, out of print); “Decoys of Maritime Canada” by Dale and Gary Guyette (Schiffer Publishing, $35); “Mason Decoys: A Complete Pictorial Guide” by Russ Goldberger (Decoy Magazine, $52.95); and “Collectors’ Guide to Decoys by Linda and Gene Kangas” (Krause Publications, out of print).
Decoy Magazine is available for $36 a year (seven copies); write P.O. Box 787, Lewes, DE 19958, or call 302-644-9001. The monthly Maine Antiques Digest lists ads, auctions and sales for various collectibles such as decoys. For a subscription ($36 a year), write P.O. 1429, Waldoboro, Maine 04572, or call 800-752-8521.
