Nate Quillen Tucked Head Bluebill Drake

Nathaniel "Nate" Quillen (1839-1908) Rockwood, MI, c. 1890 A tucked-head model with an "LST" brand on the thin bottom board.

Quillen was a well-respected punter, or guide, at the prestigious Pointe Mouillee Shooting Club at the mouth of the Huron River. A 1922 history of the club refers to their talented punter as “an artist as well as an artisan.” During the off-season, Quillen was a cabinetmaker and locksmith and his fastidious craftsmanship is evident in the decoys he created. In mix of original and working paint with gunning wear and a faint age line on the right side.

Provenance: Len Carnaghi Collection

Literature: Bernard Crandall, "Nate Quillen Decoys," North American Decoys Magazine, Spring 1972, front cover and pp. 2-11, related decoys illustrated. Bernard W. Crandall, "Decoying: St. Clair to the St. Lawrence," Erin, ON, 1988, pp. 56-57.

Provenance

Len Carnaghi Collection