Oscar Alford Rare Mallard Pair

Oscar Alford (1883-1962) Beardstown, IL, c. 1920 13 in. long

Oscar Alford had one of the most whimsical styles of all the Illinois River decoy makers. With perfectly round heads, thin pointed bills, gently concave backs, intricate tail carving, and highly stylized paint patterns, Alford's decoys are capricious examples of American folk art.

Oscar Alford, along with his sons, Howard and Glenn, produced a total of only three dozen decoys for personal use. Of this rig of exclusively mallards, there were two dozen drakes and only one dozen hens. Howard was known to have done most of the painting. From observing live, caged birds, he developed a stylized feather pattern that is among the most elaborate ever applied to an early gunning decoy. Every feather on the hen is represented, including on the bottom of the bird.

Each bird is hollowed, yet the body seams remain virtually invisible after a century. The drake’s head is turned to the left and the hen's is slightly turned to the right. The family hunted over the rig for more than twenty years. Despite heavy usage and the bird's delicate construction, the Alfords took very good care of the rig, fashioning individual bags for each bird to carry the decoys to and from the field. Original paint with even gunning wear. Typical gunning touch-up to drake's breast and bill by the Alfords. A few stacking rubs. Hen has tight cracks at base of neck.

Provenance: Alford Family Rig Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, pp. 70-75, rigmates illustrated. Zac Zetterberg, ed., “American Decoy: The Invention,” Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 126, exact decoy illustrated. Ann Tandy Lacy, "Perdew: An Illinois River Tradition," Indianapolis, IN, 1993, p. 104, rigmate drake illustrated.

Exhibited: Salisbury, Maryland, “The Illinois River Meets the Chesapeake,” Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2–November 13, 2005. Peoria, Illinois, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Center for American Decoys, Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Provenance

Alford Family Rig Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection