Edward Keller Canvasback Pair

Edward Keller (1888-1963) Bartonville, IL, c. 1940 A hollow pair of Illinois River decoys from Keller's own rig with his "EK" initials painted on the bottom of each.

From Bartonville, Illinois, the decoys carved by Edward Keller were very realistic. Like most Illinois decoys, his birds are hollow with two-piece bodies of white pine. Characterized by quality construction with careful attention to the shape and contour of their heads and bodies, Keller decoys were known as lifelike and functional. The subtle nuances of his carving style included mandible and nostril carving, noticeable cheek carving, and a small rounded tail.

Keller created birds with extremely round bodies for the region. In order to prevent the exceptionally tipsy birds from turning over in rough waters, he fashioned rather intricate and unusual wood keels that housed mortised lead-strip weights.

Keller had a steady hand with the paintbrush. He produced several hundred decoys during his lifetime, including: mallards, pintails, redheads, canvasbacks, and bluebills. The bulk of his decoys were made in the 1940s and 50s and were created mostly for his own use. Keller, like Oscar Alford, protected his decoys in cloth sacks during transportation to and from the blind, further evidence of the great pride that Keller took in his decoys. Original paint with light gunning wear.

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien, Jr. and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, p. 119, similar decoy illustrated.