Oscar Alford Rare Mallard Pair

Oscar Alford (1883-1962) Beardstown, IL, c. 1920 13 in. long

Along with Otto Garren (1890-1968), Oscar Alford had perhaps the most whimsical style of all the Illinois River decoy makers. With perfectly round heads, thin pointed bills, gently concave backs, intricate tail carving, and highly stylized paint patterns, Alford's decoys are capricious examples of American folk art.

Oscar Alford, along with his sons, Howard and Glenn, produced a total of only three dozen decoys for personal use. Of this rig of exclusively mallards, there were two dozen drakes and one dozen hens. Howard was known to have done most of the painting. From observing live, caged birds, he developed a stylized feather pattern that is among the most elaborate ever applied to an early gunning decoy. Every feather on the hen is represented, including on the bottom of the bird.

Each bird is hollowed, yet the body seams remain virtually invisible after a century. The drake’s head is turned to the left and the hen's is slightly turned to the right. The family hunted over the rig for more than twenty years. Despite heavy usage and the bird's delicate construction, the Alfords took very good care of the rig, fashioning individual bags for each bird to carry the decoys to and from the field. Original paint with even gunning wear. Typical gunning touch-up to drake's breast by the Alfords.

Provenance: Alford Family Rig Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from Schiffer Antiques, 1973

Literature: William J. Mackey Jr., "American Bird Decoys," New York, NY, 1965, p. 90, pl. 71, exact decoy illustrated. Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., "Very Rare and Important American Bird Decoys from the Collection of the late William J. Mackey Jr. of Belford, New Jersey," Hyannis, MA, 1973, Session IV, lot 179, exact decoy listed.

Provenance

Alford Family Rig Dr. Peter J. Muller Jr. Collection, acquired from Schiffer Antiques, 1973