August Haas Pintail Drake

August Haas (1890-1962) Peru, IL, c. 1920 August Haas made one of the finest pintail patterns in all the Illinois River. The fact that only three examples in original paint have ever come to light places this decoy among the region's rarest finds. This decoy is featured in the 1969 treatise, “Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois” where Paul W. Parmalee and Forrest D. Loomis attribute Haas as the maker. Regarding the carver and a rigmate pintail, Donna Tonelli, in her 1990 chapter on Illinois River decoys in "The Great Book of Waterfowl Decoys," states: “Little is known of Haas, and this decoy and two others are the only known examples of his work in original condition. He made several dozen mallards and pintails in the 1920s; his nephew repainted the mallards during the 1920s.”

Tonelli, in her 1998 book and value guide “Top of the Line Hunting Collectibles,” gives Haas his due, placing one of his pintails alongside a Bert Graves preening hen mallard in terms of value. In 2002 Tonelli took the attribution and research even further by showcasing a rigmate example carved by Haas with original paint by Charles Althoff (1859-1942) in her publication, "Fish and Fowl Decoys of the Great Lakes." The Althoff attribution, with regards to the painter of the stately Haas decoys, rings true. A close look at known Althoff decoy examples reveals the same steady hand with elaborate and precise brushwork.

Often compared with the masterwork of Charles Walker (1873-1954), Haas produced pintail carvings that stand on their own merit. Highly coveted by collectors today, virtually no other Haas decoys in original paint have come to auction in the last three decades. Original paint with even gunning wear, repair to puppy chews to the tail, reset neck seam, and bill with touch-up.

Provenance: Private Collection

Literature: Paul W. Parmelee and Forrest D. Loomis, "Decoys and Decoy Carvers of Illinois," DeKalb, IL, 1969, p. 455, plate 397, exact decoy illustrated. Donna Tonelli, "Fish and Fowl of the Great Lakes," Atglen, PA, 2002, p. 124, rigmate illustrated. Joe Engers, ed., "The Great Book of Wildfowl Decoys," San Diego, CA, 1990, p. 243, rigmate illustrated.

Provenance

Private Collection