Caines Brothers Rare Mallard Drake

Caines Brothers Georgetown, SC, c. 1900 Joseph J. "Hucks" Caines (1876-1944), Edmund A. "Ball" Caines (1851-1914), R. Randolph "Sawney" Caines (1860-1938), Moultrie J. L. "Pluty" Caines (1870-1912), and Robert J. "Bob" Caines (1879-1923)

Hobcaw Barony is on the lower end of Waccamaw Neck and it is here that Richard Caines (1813-1881) raised his children. Five of his sons lived to adulthood and carved decoys. Caines family decoys are the most sought after South Carolina decoys and very few are known to have survived. This mallard is oversized and features black glass "hat-pin" eyes, carved bill detail, an upswept tail, and raised wings. In Caines working re-paint with craquelure and flaking, gunning wear, and an old neck repair. Bill is repainted and one half replaced by Ken DeLong. Even darkening to flaking throughout.

Provenance: Private Collection, Virginia Private Collection

Literature: Richard W. Oliver, "Rare and Important American Bird Decoys," Charleston, SC, February 1989, front cover and lot 64, exact bird illustrated. Guyette and Schmidt, Inc., "North American Decoys at Auction," St. Charles, IL, April 2006, lot 652, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Private Collection, Virginia Private Collection