Mike Borrett Flying Red-breasted Merganser Pair

Mike Borrett (b. 1960) Madison, WI c. 2011 Drake: 23.5" long | 23.5" wingspan Hen: 21.5" long | 23.25" wingspan

Massive wooden carved life-size matched pair of mergansers. Borrett does a phenomenal job employing the perfect mix of ornithological accuracy and folk art carving technique. Both have their hang points off-set so that they position in a highly realistic cupped wing fly by. His best flying wildfowl employ this off-center appearance. The rest of the sculpture is created around that image.

Both birds have wood carved inserted feet that are textured to impart realism. They have fine dry paint. The large cupped wings have all their primary flight feathers carved on the topside with chip and gouge carved details across the remainder of the top and bottom of the wings. The long extended heads have carved tucked back crests as is natural in flight. Both have glass eyes and intricate carved bill details.

The matched pair has Borrett and the year made carved into a primary feather, the drakes is on its right wing and the hen is on the left wing.

Condition: Near mint, a little errant orange paint is on the top side of the hens right wing