Ira Hudson Outstanding Hollow Hissing Goose

Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1930 26 1/2 in. long

“Hudson was particularly fond of lifelike, animated head and body forms” — Robert Shaw, Bird Decoys of North America

For decades collectors, historians, and authors have admired the exceptional Hudson hissing goose forms only to meet with the challenge of finding one with its original head and paint. This grand decoy retains one of the maker’s finest head carvings with an exceptionally thin neck flaring out to exaggerated full cheeks with a deep eye groove and a sharp brow. The cedar body measures over nine inches in width and is finished with the maker's best stippling on the back and lively wave-like swirls on the sides. The form and condition of this Virginia masterwork place it as one of the finest geese from the region. Original paint with even gunning wear, cracks in neck have been stabilized with minimal touch-up, and two very minor chips to tail edge.

Provenance: Elkanah B. Cobb Rig William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Ray Egan Collection, acquired 1973 Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1978

Literature: Joe Engers, “Dr. Peter J. Muller: Bringing a good eye and an artistic approach to decoy collecting,” Decoy Magazine, January/February 2008, p. 9, exact decoy illustrated. Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., "Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas," Exton, PA, 1983, p. 32, pl. 38 and 39, hissing geese illustrated. Jackson Parker, "The 1987 Year in Review," Decoy Magazine, Ocean City, MD, 1988, p. 12, exceptional hissing goose illustrated. Henry H. Stansbury, "Ira D. Hudson and Family," Lewes, DE, 2002, pp. 92-98, hissing geese illustrated. Robert H. Richardson, ed., "Chesapeake Bay Decoys," Burtonsville, MD, 1991, p. 222, hissing goose illustrated.

Provenance

Elkanah B. Cobb Rig William J. Mackey Jr. Collection Ray Egan Collection, acquired 1973 Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from the above, 1978