John R. Wells Redhead Hen

John R. Wells (1861-1953) Toronto, Ontario, Canada c.1900 15"

Solid body with a beautiful paint application over a deeply rasped surface. A similarly rasped pair of solid body Canvasbacks is pictured in Ontario Deoys III. The technique unquestionably added time to create, particularly to paint, but would have led to a more matte and textured surface creating a natural presence on the water.

The underside is double struck with the W.R. Kay rig brand and bears an old Richard Oliver auction tag. Condition: Very good and original with some shot scars, knots and tight age separations, and a tight neck seam line