Louis Rathmell High-head Black Duck Drake

Louis C. Rathmell (1898-1974) Danbury, CT, c. 1941 17 3/4 in. long

The maker’s refined head carving, dynamic poses, and exceptional scratch and feather paint place him in the ranks of Stratford’s finest carvers, alongside Shang Wheeler. This black duck drake with a high and turned head and exquisite paint shows Rathmell at his best.

"...one of the best gunning rigs ever made." -Dixon Merkt Excellent original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Louis Rathmell Rig Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the maker, c. 1962

Literature: Cliff Alexander, "Lou Rathmell: A decoy maker who lived in a castle," Decoy Magazine, November/December 2015, p. 25 and front cover, exact decoy illustrated. Dixon Merkt, "Gentleman Carvers of Connecticut," The Clarion, Spring 1980, p. 50, rigmate illustrated. Peter Johnson and Alf Wannenburgh, “The World of Shooting,” Lausanne, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 259-261, exact decoy illustrated. Jackson Parker, “O’Brien Classic Decoys on Display at Museum of American Folk Art,” North American Decoys: Wildfowl Carvers and Collectors News, Spanish Fork, UT, Spring/Summer 1982, p. 36, exact decoy illustrated.

Exhibited: New York, New York, “The Art of the American Decoy: Folk Sculpture from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Donal C. O’Brien Jr.,” Museum of American Folk Art, September 3–November 8, 1981.

Provenance

Louis Rathmell Rig Donal C. O'Brien, Jr. Collection, acquired from the maker, c. 1962