Bert Graves The Masterworks Graves Teal Pair

Bert Graves (1880-1956) Peoria, IL, c. 1925 10 1/2 in. long

Teal decoys in good original paint by the top Illinois river decoy makers are exceedingly rare; only a handful are known by the Ellistons and Schoenheider, and a few more by the Perdews survived. Graves teal appear to be the rarest of these decoys. No Graves green-winged teal have come to light and this blue-winged pair are the only two known to have surfaced.

The pair has Graves’ distinct hollow-body construction details, and each has an alert head turned to the right. Catherine Elliston’s original paint is an important ingredient for Graves’ best decoys and her mastery of the brush is on full display with this pair. As was a regional custom, the drake's head is predominantly blue.

Like much of the Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection, these decoys have spent decades on tour in museums throughout the Midwest and Atlantic Coast. Excellent original paint with light gunning wear, including a small rub to drake's crown.

Provenance: Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection

Literature: Stephen B. O'Brien Jr. and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, p. 101, exact pair illustrated. Zac Zetterberg, ed., “American Decoy: The Invention,” Peoria, IL, 2020, p. 80, exact pair illustrated.

Exhibited: Salisbury, Maryland, “The Illinois River Meets the Chesapeake,” Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, September 2–November 13, 2005. Peoria, Illinois, “American Decoy: The Invention,” Peoria Riverfront Museum, February 9–April 28, 2019.

Provenance

Masterworks of the Illinois River Collection