Jess Heisler Sleeping Black Duck

Jess Heisler (1891-1943) Burlington, NJ, c. 1920 14 in. long

An excellent and important sleeping decoy from a river region dominated by straight-headed decoys. John English is credited with drawing up the region's pattern and setting an unsurpassed bar for quality. In his broad wake, Heisler rose to the top and is believed to have introduced the sleeper to the region, with some later makers following his lead, to the delight of collectors.

Along with its rarity, this well-executed carving is among the maker's finest with thin carved tail feathers, and crisp primaries. The head and bill are carefully inlaid into the three-piece hollow body. Further separating this decoy from its few peers is the special attention paid to the stylized feather paint adorning every facet of the plumage with patterns of loops, dots, and dashes. The underside is marked with a “BP-6” for the collection of Bob and Pauline White. When the Whites sold this decoy, it was conveyed that the bird has been exhibited at the Burlington County Museum and the Mercer Museum. Original paint with light wear.

Provenance: Private Rig, Florence, New Jersey and Odessa, California Bob White Collection Kangas Collection of International Folk Art and Decoys

Literature: “Decoy Magazine,” May/June 2019, p. 28, exact decoy illustrated. H. Harrison Huster and Doug Knight, "Floating Sculptures: The Decoys of the Delaware River," Spanish Fork, UT, 1982.

Exhibited: Doylestown, PA, "Ducks, Decoys and the Delaware: A Regional Hunting Tradition," The Mercer Museum, 2004

Provenance

Private Rig, Florence, New Jersey and Odessa, California Bob White Collection Kangas Collection of International Folk Art and Decoys