Bluebill Drake Duck Decoy with Mussel - Darkfeather Freedman, Michigan
Bluebill Drake Duck Decoy with Mussel - Darkfeather Freedman, Michigan
Red-breasted Merganser Drake Duck Decoy - Gary Lawrence, Michigan
Darkfeather Freedman (b.1953) Michigan 16.75" long Of Blackfoot Tribe descent, the self-taught carver and painter has taken local influence from legendary carvers like Ben Schmidt. Utilizing some of those techniques this decoy has pockets of stamped feathering on the sides in front of carved speculums and step-down carved wing tips. The detailed head shows a small mussel or clam in its mouth resting on its extended tongue. The tongue and side teeth details are carved with carved nostrils and deep lines where the bill meets the face. Condition: Mint
Introducing The
Atlantic Rancher Decoy Shop
Curated by Master
Decoy Carver, J.P. Hand
I’ve had a fascination with waterfowl decoys nearly all my
life, buying my first decoy when I was 14. I got lost on the way to the Viking Boat Factory in New Gretna, NJ, and ended up on a single-track sand road in the Pine Barrens when I came upon a small, wood shingled shanty with a sign that read: “old stuff for sale.” I wandered in and made a $5 lay-away payment on a $15 black duck decoy. It wasn’t till many years later that it was certified by a reputable auction house, as a Gene Hendrickson decoy appraised at 100x what I had paid. I don’t care what it’s worth now…it’s not for sale.
However, my collection now includes 100’s of magnificent decoys, mostly from the New Jersey area, carved by some of the most revered decoy carvers of the 20th century. Of course, these men are mostly gone and so are their decoys. And just like real estate, they’re not making any more of ‘em.
I’ve decided to begin sharing my collection with Atlantic Rancher Co. customers. To do this right, we’ve enlisted the help of famed (and still alive and carving) master waterfowl carver J. P. “Jamie” Hand, of Goshen, NJ. Jamie has been carving hollow-body white Jersey cedar decoys for over 50 years and was mentored by some of New Jersey’s most prominent decoy carvers…Harry Shourds III and Hurley Conklin.
Jamie has personally examined my collection to confirm its provenance and the overall quality and desirability of each decoy featured in our Decoy Shop. Together, we are delighted to feature these one-of-a-kind specimens that represent the most unique and authentic form of American Folk Art.
Shipping
We don’t use a 3rd. fulfillment house to process your order. We pick, pack and ship all orders ourselves from our own warehouse. If we receive your order by 12pm PST, we usually ship it to you that day. Otherwise it will ship on the following business day.
Returns & Refunds
If you aren’t happy with what you’ve purchased from Atlantic Rancher, you may return it to us in like-new condition within 30-days of purchase and we’ll process a refund for the full purchase price of the item(s) being returned.
Returns after the normal 30-day window are for store credit only.
