Richard Wistar Davids Early Sleeping Teal

Capt. Richard W. Davids (1825-1863) Philadelphia, PA, c. 1850 10 in. long

This hollow antebellum teal decoy’s head curves around to the left and lies across its back. The resting pose has protected the bill for well over a century. The head features lightly incised eye and bill detail and full cheeks. The thin, sleek body has slight wing separation in the back.

Raised in Philadelphia in a Quaker family, the carver, Capt. Richard W. Davids, met his end at The Wheatfield in the Battle of Gettysburg while fighting for the Union Army. Old paint mostly worn to wood with heavy gunning wear, some old fill to neck.

Provenance: William K. du Pont Collection

Literature: Pete Lesher, "New additions to the R. W. Davids Rig," Decoy Magazine, November/December 2016, pp. 32-33, related decoys illustrated.

Provenance

William K. du Pont Collection