Caines Brothers Black Duck

Caines Brothers Georgetown, SC, c. 1900 16 3/4 in. long

Joseph J. "Hucks" Caines (1876-1944), Edmund A. "Ball" Caines (1851-1914), R. Randolph "Sawney" Caines (1860-1938), Moultrie J. L. "Pluty" Caines (1870-1912), and Robert J. "Bob" Caines (1879-1923)

Hobcaw Barony is on the lower end of Waccamaw Neck and it is here that Richard Caines (1813-1881) raised his children. Five of his sons lived to adulthood and carved decoys. Caines family decoys are the most sought-after South Carolina decoys and very few are known to have survived. This exact decoy was chosen for the South Carolina chapter in Henry Fleckenstein's "Southern Decoys" book. The body features raised heart-shaped wings and a pronounced breast.

Like other Caines decoys, this bird was made as a mallard drake and later painted by the Caines as a black duck. In old working Caines paint with gunning wear.

Provenance: Collectable Old Decoys, South Carolina Private Collection, North Carolina Private Collection, New Jersey

Literature: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., "Southern Decoys of Virginia and The Carolinas," Exton, PA, 1983, p. 248, exact decoy illustrated. Dick McIntyre, "Caines Brothers Decoys, Birds of Great Distinction," Decoy Magazine, March/April 1989, pp. 10-11, related example illustrated. “North American Decoys Magazine,” Spanish Fork, UT, Oct-Dec 1978, p. 11, exact decoy illustrated.

Provenance

Collectable Old Decoys, South Carolina Private Collection, North Carolina Private Collection, New Jersey