Roger Williams Roothead Merganser Hen

Roger Williams (1770-1840) Sheepshead Bay, Long Island, NY, c. 1820 A sea duck decoy by one of the earliest of the known makers. The merganser features carved eyes, a removable roothead, and the maker's incised "RW" initials on the bottom. Early paint with even gunning wear, age lines, and chips to the old bill and top of the head.

Provenance: William Tosi Collection

Literature: Adele Earnest, "The Art of the Decoy," New York, NY, 1965, p. 121, plate 105, similar decoy illustrated. Robert Shaw "Bird Decoys of North America," New York, NY, 2010, p. 3, related example. Gene and Linda Kangas, "Decoys: A North American Survey," Spanish Fork, UT, 1983, p. 73, plate 120, related example.

Provenance

William Tosi Collection