Gus Wilson Sandhill Crane

Augustus Aaron Wilson (1864-1950) South Portland, ME, c. 1920 An exceedingly rare life-size crane carving with two wooden legs tenoned into a base board. The only other large wading bird believed to have been made by this carver is a heron carving, which is in the collection of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia. Surface is a mix of original paint, varnish, and overpaint. Missing a wing tip, the body has been broken from the legs and needs to be reset. A larger base board was added to the original base to increase stability.

Literature: Gene Kangas, "Gus Wilson, Folk Artist," "Decoy Magazine," Lewes, DE, November/December 1994, p. 10, similar carving illustrated.