Fred Allen,Princeton,Illinois
One of the best examples of a Fred Allen decoy you will see in this very early Drake Mallard example with in use wear to the paint which is even and in all the proper places. This decoy has never been touched and retains the original glass eyes with flat short paddle tail and flat bottom. Solid decoy has a ring on the front bottom and was used to hunt over. An outstanding investment grade decoy and as good as they get!
FRANK CASSINNI,LONG GROVE,ILLINOIS
Wonderful early turned head Hen Mallard in great form and bold paint. Canvas over cork example. Most of his decoys were machine turned Balsa. This was a prototype decoy done for Al Ries who also lived in Long Grove for his new factory Tru Dux. O.P. as well as condition in a fine example that has a lot more detail than Al Ries examples. Outstanding rare decoy!
One Armed Kelley,Monroe,MI.
Large oversized Hen Canvasback for use in big water hunting with intact keel. Bill carving with original glass eyes in O.P. as well as condition. Condition of this Kelley is outstanding!
John Tax,Osakis,MN.
A pair of John Tax canvas Mallards. Excellent original paint and condition. Canvas for this carver and in this condition is very rare. Tax was Minnesota's greatest decoy maker and many of his wooden decoys have sold at auction for in excess of $10,000 plus! Ca. 1938.
Ken Greenlee,Burlington,Iowa
Early Drake Mallard sleeper. Ca. 1925 in original paint and rare pose for this carver. Two piece hollow design shows small age crack around the seam with a couple minor rubs to the paint. Tack eyes with bill carving detail. Nice carving detail to the tail feathers. Working decoy has a drilled hole on the bottom. Also noted is a small piece connecting the body to the bill on the underside. Outstanding form in this old toller which is certainly an investment grade decoy.
CHARLES SCHOENHEIDER SR.,PEORIA,ILLINOIS
Ca.1854-1944. Highly repected Illinois River carver. Outstanding hollow Drake Mallard in the same style as the standing "Ice Duck" on the cover of "The Great Book Of Decoys" by Joe Engers. Some minor wear to the tips of the paint with a couple small rubs to the tail area, a small hairline crack around the neck and a very small separation where the decoy is joined in two halves. This decoy is O.P as well as to condition. However, some old hunter touch-up exists to the head, bill, neck and breast areas. Very rare in this condition and simply an outstanding example of a working Illinois River hunting decoy. Not the best example ever, but a good example at a great price!
Robert Bradbeer,Spring Valley,Il.
A great example of an old talented decoy carver, Ca. 1920 from Spring Valley Illinois. Original paint as well as outstanding condition. Classic Illinois river Mallard Hen painted most likely by Henry Holmes. Retains the original glass eyes. Wonderful patina in this hollow example of a Bradbeer working decoy.
BEN SCHMIDT,CENTERLINE,MI.
Redhead Hen in O.P. as well as overall condition. Rubs to the paint and several small age cracks in the wood. This is Schmidt's early period work without chisel stamping. Nice form which retains the original glass eyes.
Charles Mott,Pekin,Il.
Pair of Old Ca. 1938 Charles Mott two piece hollow Mallard decoys. Drake has a repaired sliver on the left side of the bill. Original paint as well as condition otherwise. Both decoys show an age seam as well as rubs to the paint as shown as these are truly working Tollers. Decoys are traditionally shaped at the breast as Illinois river decoys are and have flat tails and painted eyes. Age crack on the neck on both the drake and hen. Very talented old time carver and a great addition to any collection as these are Investment grade decoys.
One Armed Kelley,Monroe,MI.
Very early One Armed Kelley Drake Canvasback with a seperation at the base of the neck. Second coat of old hunter paint evident with wear to the primer in some places as shown. Retains the original eyes and is a very good example in great posture. Wonderful detail in the carving and positioning of his heads. Retains original keel and is rigged for hunting with the forward line swivel intact.
Evans Decoy Factory,Ladysmith,WI.
Early Hen Canvasback by the Evans Decoy Factory of Ladysmith Wisconsin. Mammoth grade with good original paint and condition. Some in-use gunning wear to the tips of the paint. Tight age crack on back. Decoy retains the original glass eyes with nice detail painting to the wing areas. Ca. 1927-1934.
Bruce Chidester,Burlington,Iowa
Drake Mallard sleeper in outstanding form and bold wet over wet paint blending technique. Extreme detail to individual feather carving on both the primary as well as secondary feathers.
Glass eyes,bill carving and great rasp work to the head. Inscribed on the bottom "First Place Decoy Iowa State Carving Show 1983". Several small chips to the tips of the tail feathers. A great decoy for those who appreciate decoy carving as an art form as this Mallard is fantastic!
Mike Borrett, Verona, WI.
A pair of Mike Borrett Blue Wing Teal in bold paint and great form. Paint is original and decoys are in Mint condition. Original glass eyes, bill carving as well as raised tail feathers. Both the Drake and the Hen have bottom keels with lead ballast weights which are rigged as hunting decoys.
DEWITT WAKEFIELD,FREMONT,WI.
Drake Bluebill carved with great form "attitude" of early carvers like Wakefield. Wonderful dark rich patina in original paint. Structurally sound condition, Ca. early 1900's with expected wear to the paint consistent with an in-use gunner. Paint wear especially evident to the tail as well as the top of the head as shown. Retains original glass eyes. This is considered to be the earliest style of Wisconsin carvers, (1849-1912) and I believe this decoy is a later use of his earlier patterns. A great decoy for sure!
Joe Gigl,Freemont,WI.
Very nice and very hard to find in this condition. Joe Gigl oversized cork Drake Mallard with a slightly turned head. Mint condition as well as O.P. Form is great, especially the head. The paint, especially on the head is great as well. Retains the original glass eyes as well as 1/2" bottom board.
Bill Johnson,Saginaw Bay,Mi.
Drake Canvasback from Bill Johnson in original paint as well as conditon. In-use gunning wear to the paint as shown. Bold paint pattern and nice form in this old hunting antique. Retains the original glass eyes and is a flat bottom decoy typical of large water hunting decoys. Nice Michigan hunting Toller!
Cliff Reinsager,Muscatine,Iowa.
Very nice pair of Mallards by a midwest carver Cliff Reinsager of Muscatine, Iowa. Both the Drake and the Hen are in original paint as well as condition, retain the original glass eyes and are signed in the makers hand. Drake has a nail bill and is in very nice form as well as bold paint. Mint other than a very small seam crack which is hard to see starting to develop on one side. The Hen is just wonderful with great wet over wet paint blending. Near mint as well with one very small rub to the paint on the right side tip of the bill. The Hen is unusual in that the bottom is in very nice comb paint, although no other evidence of comb painting exists on the body of either decoy which is something I have never seen before.
Unidentified, Attributed To Mike Valley
Pair of solid body Mallards in original paint as well as condition with keels and anchor lines still attatched. Drake is near mint with just a couple small rubs to the paint. Hen has more in-use wear, especially to the underside of the tail and along the right side and breast area. However, this is minor overall. Both decoys retain the original glass eyes and are in bold paint as well as very nice form.
Frank Schmidt,Centerline,MI.
Outstanding example of the work of decoy carver Frank Schmidt of Centerline Michigan. Drake Mallard is in outstanding posture and is all O.P. as well as structurally mint as to condition. Flat bottom working decoy with incised feather and wing carving.
Ed Koch,Omro,WI
Pair of working Mallard decoys from Midwest carver Ron Koch in original paint as well as condition. Nice form with original glass eyes and detail to the bill carving. Both the Hen and Drake have drilled holes in the bottom where the ballast weight was removed.They both havethe initials W.K., a stamp as well as a brand. The brand says Ron Koch which has a circle around it. The stamp says Ron Koch, Omro,WI. Drake has a small area on the right tail where some paint ran and both decoys have very minor in-use rubs to the paint. Very nice pair of working Mallards in excellent condition.
Pair Of Mallards, Wisconsin
Very nice pair of old folky Mallards from Wisconsin,Ca. 1930. Original paint as well as condition. Very unusual flat bottoms that look like they were carved so that the decoys could sit on a mantle. They are of one piece design however and have drilled holes in the bottom indicating use as working decoys probably in shallow water. The base areas only on both the Hen and Drake appear to have a coat of shellac which was probably used as an attempt to water proof these bottom boards. Very detailed chip carving of the feathers with original tack eyes, curled tail feathers and a nail bill with intricate detail to all areas of the bill carving. Two screws are inserted on the bottom, one at both ends. These are very unusual and interesting examples of Wisconsin Decoy folk art.
Horicon Marsh,Unidentified,Wisconsin
Mallard Hen in striking style and great form from Horicon Marsh. Carver is unidentified. Original paint as well as condition. Solid working decoy with a few minor in-use rubs to the paint. Small age crack to the breast area. Branded SS on bottom of the decoy. Ca. 1940. Unusual high Snakey head design not usually found in the midwest.
UNIDENTIFIED, BURLINGTON,IOWA
Nice pair of turned head Mallards as pictured. Heads are not loose, but were designed to rotate 360 degrees. Ca. 1930's with great form and bold paint pattern. Nice patina with some in-use wear to the original paint in various areas as shown. I do not know the carver, but am able to determine they came from the Mississippi River near Burlington Iowa.
UNIDENTIFIED,ILLINOIS RIVER HEN MALLARD
Great form and rare style in a wonderful paint pattern. Snugglehead Hen Mallard in O.P. Decoy is hollow and exibits some paint wear to the tips of the paint in various locations as shown. Retains original glass eyes and has a thin fan tail. Decoy was rigged for hunting and used as such. Estimate Ca. 1940's.
Unidentified,Illinois River
Very nice Illinois River Hen Mallard in original paint as well as condition. Nice sponge paint technique with wonderful attitude especially to the upper throat and fan tail of this working decoy. Ca. 1920's to 1930's.
Jenzte,Peoria,Illinois
Drake Mallard in original paint as well as condition. Cork body with a nicely carved pine head in wonderful form. Interesting "beaver" tail and very well done scratch paint technique probably painted by Henry Holmes who painted for many fine Illinois River carvers. Ca. 1920
