Gus Wilson Preening Mallard Hen

Augustus "Gus" Aaron Wilson (1864-1950) South Portland, ME, c. 1890 15 1/2 in. long

A rare, if not unique, preening mallard hen with an inlaid head joint that extends to catch the bill tip. The head is dramatically turned and canted far to the right; this elegant asymmetry prompted the addition of small counterweights on the left underside for balanced floatation. Similar in form to his black ducks, the white tail paint reveals this decoy's mallard hen identification. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear and some darkening to wear mostly along right side.

Literature: Guyette and Schmidt, "North American Decoys at Auction," July 2009, exact decoy on front cover and lot 369. Robert Bishop, "American Folk Sculpture," NY, NY, 1974, p. 302, drake illustrated. Osona & O'Brien, "Important Waterfowl and Shorebird Decoys," Nantucket Island, MA, 1993, front cover and lot 33, drake illustrated.