Dave Umbrella Watson Pair of Hollow High-head Canada Geese

Dave "Umbrella" Watson (1851-1938) Chincoteague, VA, c. 1900 Not only two of the very best Watson geese known to exist, but also the only matched pair that we know of to ever come on the market. Bold over-sized form with pronounced cheek and raised-wing carving. Each bird with two inset rectangular lead weights. A superb pair of museum quality Virginia gunning decoys.

These geese retain their original stippled paint patterns. Both birds have even gunning wear with working touch-up to the black areas. The lower-headed of the two birds has a tight crack along the back and a tight crack along the bottom with working fill, a tight crack in the neck and a hairline crack in the tail. The higher-headed of the two birds has a working tail replacement and a tight hairline bill crack that has been professionally reset by Gigi Hopkins.

Provenance: These decoys came from a Private Collection in Georgia, the high-head goose was given to the original owner's daughter and the low head goose to his grand-daugther. This matched pair has once again been reunited for the first time for the first time since they were hunted.

Literature: H. Fleckenstein, Jr., Southern Decoys of Virginia and the Carolinas, Exton, PA, 1983, pp. 77-84.

Provenance

These decoys came from a Private Collection in Georgia, the high-head goose was given to the original owner's daughter and the low head goose to his grand-daugther. This matched pair has once again been reunited for the first time for the first time since they were hunted.