The McKenzie Brothers Rare Pintail Drake

The McKenzie Brothers John Thomas (1852-1914) and Thomas Jefferson McKenzie (1860-1938) Henry, IL, c. 1900 17 in. long

A hollow-bodied pintail carved by Thomas, who worked at a wagon factory and transferred those skills into his talented carving. His brother, John, was responsible for the painting.

In their 1969 "Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois,” Paul W. Parmalee and Forrest D. Loomis report, "Farming, fishing and hunting most of their lives, John and Thomas McKenzie pooled their talents and skills around the turn of the century to produce a limited number of puddle duck gunning decoys." Finding a choice pintail in original paint by these gifted makers is an infrequent occurrence. Original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Peter Van Trigt Collection Private Collection, New York

Literature: Paul W. Parmalee and Forrest D. Loomis, "Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois,” Dekalb, IL, 1969, p. 276, similar decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Peter Van Trigt Collection Private Collection, New York