Nate Quillen Tucked-head Redhead Drake

Nate Quillen (1839-1908) Rockwood, MI, c. 1890 13 1/2 in. long

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 cabinet maker and locksmith, and his fastidious craftsmanship is evident in the decoys he created. The bottom board is branded "HHB." Original paint with some traces of overpaint. Washes to black areas and bill. Moderate gunning wear and roughness to left body seam. Two-thirds of bill restored.

Provenance: Alan Haid Collection The George Secor Decoy Collection to Benefit Delta Waterfowl, acquired from the above

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

Alan Haid Collection The George Secor Decoy Collection to Benefit Delta Waterfowl, acquired from the above