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 Red Breasted Merganser pair by Reggie Birch ,Chincoteague,VA. A full-sized carving,approximately 17 inches long, by one of the most popular contemporary makers today. Reggie is a purist and traces his ancestors to some of the first settlers on Chincoteague. This pair, signed and dated 1982. $1150. |
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 Blackbellied Plover by William Gibian, VA. Slightly raised wings with extended tips and a slightly turned head and bill inserted through back of head. Bird is approx. 11 inches bill to tail .Great patina by Mr. Gibian, a traditional maker. $1150 |
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1987 Baldpate full-sized gunning pair by Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, MD. This pair is in mint condition and has been stored for nearly 20 years by the collector who purchased them directly from Mr. Lawson in 1987. $1600
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Large Wood Duck hen by Brian Piccirillo, Miami, Fl. This decoy, carved from cedar, is a three piece body slightly hollowed with an inletted head. Brian’s dry and mellow patina with paint chips and lifting of wood gives this decoy a well gunned and aged appearance. Brian has a real sense of what an old gunning bird looks like and his influences include Cameron McIntyre, Mark McNair and Joe Kralic. $450  |
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 Wes Bratcher of Crisfield, MD and his pair of full sized Green Winged Teal in the 36 model Ward style. Wes spent much of his youth in the Ward's barber shop. Wes is proud of the memories of Lem and Steve and the story Steve shared with him of his grandfather bringing the first loads of balsa wood to Crisfield for he and Lem. Wes carves shore birds, turkeys, Egrets and waterfowl. This pair is carved from bass wood and the drake has stippled paint. $800 |
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 Eskimo Curlew on a walnut base by William Gibian of Onancock, VA. Note the legs and feet appear to have a skin covering. Gibian carved under the belly. The layered feathers with raised or relieved wings and primaries are an outstanding example of Mr Gibian's talents. His painting brings this Curlew to life. This sculpture stands 12.5 inches tall including the base and measures about 14 inches in length bill to tail. this one-of-a-kind is $2100. |
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 Lem and Steve Ward, Crisfield, MD. Green Winged Teal Circa 1960.This half-sized, 8 inches long, Teal is in original dry paint and has a cedar head and inserted cedar tail. This outstanding decoy by Lem and Steve is a great addition to any decoy collection. Small chip in bill is not as prevlent as angle of picture displays. $1900 |
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 Rare Egret by Mark McNair, 2008. Made from a fallen Cedar tree from across the creek near Mark's home. Mark has only carved 3 egrets. Raised wing carving with an antique style patina as only Mark can do.This is carved in three sections and measures about 39 inches tall including the base. The base is made from a beam recovered from an old home. Base is signed and dated 2008. $4500. |
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 Pintail gunning pair by the Crisfield MD master, Oliver Lawson. Outstanding painting details which border as decorative for many makers. However Mr. Lawson uses accurate life like detail for his hunting decoys. Patina has flat and dry appearance as a gunning bird should.This pair $1600. |
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 Gunning canvasback by Cameron McIntyre, 1992. One of ten made for his personal rig. Signed and branded by Cameron. Decoy measures approx. 14 inches long and and in Cameron's outstanding paint. A great piece for any Cameron collector or upper Chesapeake Bay collector. $1600. |
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Curlew, Lloyd Tyler, Crisfield, MD (1898-1970). Circa 1950’s, scratched painting with slight shrinkage and minor paint loss. An African American taxi cab driver from Pocomoke City MD., Mr. Matthews, sold many of these shore birds by the Pocomoke River Bridge when off-duty about 1960. Much speculation if Mr. Matthews or Sherm Jones from Crisfield carved these birds. Henry Stansbury’s book on Tyler has other examples on page 69. A great looking Crisfield School piece of Folk Art measures about 14 inches from bill to tail. $800. |
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Ward World winner, Rich Smoker and his Red Breasted Merganser in courtship pose. This "Down East"esk Maine style is painted with 4 layers of oils. Rich inserted black china bristle (hogs hair) into the back of the head for a more life-like crest. Decoy is 9.5 inches tall at the top of head. A great opportunity to own a world class makers decoy for only $900 |  |
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J. Lloyd Sterling, Crisfield, MD (1880-1964).Canvasback decoy circa 1950. Balsa wood carving with lead strap and tack eyes. Back is stipple painted with lead. Near mint condition with only small smudges and or dry blood. Small brand of "TM" on bottom. Writing is by former owner, Davidson Hawthorne.$2300. |
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 A Virginia, Cobb Island gunning pintail by Ira Skees. This large, hollow two piece with no seems showing decoy measures 17- 18 inches long . Branded I. Skees and from the former collection of Lars Crispman and numbered 103.Ira ,a world championship award winning decoy maker who creates an outstanding blend of contemporary and antiquity. $750. | ||||
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 Black Duck (hen) sleeper by David Carroll of Chestertown, MD. Outstanding details on this gunning decoy. Note the bill does not touch the back. David learned from Mr. Charles "Speed" Joiner and was a good student .Length from breast to tail is 14 inches. $500 |
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 Large Tern, 17 inches long by Mark McNair. Mark's New England craftsman roots are evident with his pegged wing attachment. The width of this shorebird is approx. 4 inches across the center. Bill is inserted through back of head. Mark carved this Tern when he lived on the seaside in Modestown, VA. and regularly visited the barrier islands to observe wildfowl. $2300 |
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 Doug Jester, Chincoteague, Va. Canvasback Matched Pair. In what appears to be Josiah Travers (1900-1965) Vienna, Md. paint. I understand there are only about a dozen known Jester decoys painted by Mr. Travers. Jester decoys must have been ordered unpainted and painted by Mr. Travers for gunning on the Choptank River or the Chesapeake Bay. Great pair of old gunnning birds .Hen has a couple of shot marks! $1300 pr. |
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Old Squaw hen by Connecticut carver and painter Joe Kralic. Joe has had 50 years of refining his style as this decoy shows. He applies layers of wet on wet oil paint to blend a thick feathered appearance. This hen measures about 13 inches long and is 8 inches high. Joe's unique style is becoming more and more appreciated as evidenced by his upcoming article in the magazine "Hunting & Fishing Collectibles". $700. |
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 Widgeon/baldpate gunning decoy by Art Kilmon, Pocomoke, MD signed and dated 1988. Outstanding scratch paint raised wing feathering on back.Bird measures 12 inches breast to tail. Mr. Kilmon is well thought of by local artists such as Mark McNair. Art does not carve anymore and finding his decoys in mint condition is rare. $400. |
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Reggie Birch is from Chincoteague,Va. and has been carving decoys for almost 30 years. He is nationally known for his ability to make a brand new decoy look 100 years old. When he goes to decoy shows there is usually a line of people watching him unpack, anxious to buy. He told me one time that he normally sells out in the 1st hour then takes orders for the rest of the show. Reggie is not just a decoy carver, he is a master craftsman. Everyone should have at least one piece of his art. This pair $550.00.  |
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Approx. 8 inch miniature carvings by Beau Nelson of Salisbury MD. Beau has been carving about 10 years and carves and paints very deliberate. Note the feathers and bills on Beau's creations. Beau comes from a Crisfield MD. heritage. Your Choice, $350. To see other samples go here. |
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| Curlew pair, found in Virginia. Approximately 15 inches long bill to tail. Inserted bills. A true decoy, shore bird maker created these curlews. There is a small brand on the under side but is unrecognizable to me. Carved eyes with grooved uneven sides indicate a traditional primitive intention. I have included the two wooden stands shown as shore birds were absent of stands. This pair $180. |  |
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Long Billed Curlew by Crisfield, MD native, William Harrison. Curlew's bill measures 7.5 inches long and is made from a pitch fork tine. Curlew measures 11 inches long and stands on a base simulating a mud flat. Bill made a similar curlew that won in the contemporary shore bird category at the October 2007 Ward Wildfowl Competition in Salisbury.$475. |
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 Pintail drake, two piece hollow, rigged for gunning by W.S. Richardson. Nice grain split on back and in neck but very firm. Scott made this for the Pocomoke River MD Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and so signed and branded on the bottom. Scott is an avid duck hunter and uses his own carved rig. A game warden for 20 years, he is conservationist and past president for his local D.U. chapter. $350. |
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 Mallard flyer, unknown maker. Delicate 1/4 size measures about 10 inches long (tail to bill). 12 inches (wing tip to wing tip) . 9 inches tall, mounted by a piece of wire to a tree branch, old drift wood. From an estate sale on the Eastern Shore of MD. $150. |
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 Mr Miles Hancock,Chincoteague,VA. Two of his smaller rare Mallard decoy carvings. The smaller one measures about 7 inches in length and 4.5 in height and was made in the mid 60's.The larger measures about 12 inches bill to tail and has overlapping raised primary feathers. This mallard was made in 1970. Mr Miles started making these mini's late in his life when his hands and sight began to fail him. Mr Miles passed in 1974. These two $700. |
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Pair of 3.5 inch long mallards by Lloyd J. Tyler (1898-1970) Crisfield,MD. Very rare and highly collectible pair by Mr. Tyler. The hen has a slight tail sliver. Lloyd used these miniatures as gifts and packaging materials. $750. |
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 Nice collection of 3 Yellow Legs on driftwood by Delbert "Cigar" Daisey of Chincoteague Island , VA. Standard size shorebirds standing on a 24 inch long driftwood base. All three shorebirds are signed and branded, CIGAR. A great Yellow Legs collection for only $2100 |
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 Bufflehead "Butterball" Pair dated December 1962 by J. Lloyd Sterling. A great pair of decoys by one of Crisfield's prolific makers. Apr. 10 inches long with bright dry paint on balsa wood. These decoys appear to never have been hunted over but show where the keel or weight has been removed. The Sterling family has a great tradition of making decoys in the "Crisfield school" manner which is unique to Chesapeake Bay. The Sterling linage goes back at least 300 years to Somerset County, MD as some of the first English settlers to the Chesapeake Bay area. $1150. |
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 "Cigar", Black Bellied Plover in summer plumage. Rare species by the Chincoteague, VA. master, Delbert Daisey. The unique use of a clam shell base adds to the aesthetics. This shore bird by "Cigar" $700. |
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Eight inch Widgeon pair by Donnie Briddell from 1961. This pair has been in a collection since the early sixties and recently surfaced. Don made these when he was about 15 years old and growing up in Crisfield, MD. where he learned under Lem and Steve Ward. Donnie moved away after high school and joined the Peace Corps and traveled the world for about 10 years. An outstanding artist who retains the Crisfield / Ward / Lawson style .There is small dent in drakes left back and small filler missing with crack in drakes neck. This pair $800. |
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| J Eldredge Tyler Crisfield, MD. Folky pintail by the colorful Mr Tyler, an extremely nice man who would help anyone. A picture of Eldredge is on page 91 of Henry Stansbury's 1995 on Lloyd J Tyler. Eldredge passed in his sleep during a house fire about 1996 in his mid 90's.Bird measures approximately 15 inches in length. $250 |  |
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| Scaupe/bluebill/blackhead pair signed,dated,unweighted by Paul Gibson, Havre DE Grace, MD. 1975. Gibson a friend and maker with R. Madison Mitchell was born in 1902 and passed in 1985. In 1941 Paul purchased Madison Mitchell's duplicating lathe for making bodies which he used until his death. A great "Susquehanna Flats" example only $700. |  |
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 ONE OF A KIND , spectacular goose by Miles Hancock, Chincoteague, VA. This never used or weighted gunning bird is signed and dated 1952. Signed in typical red marker as Mr. Miles did in the late 60's. Branded by an owner. Good thing this goose did not end up @ auction this year or who knows how high it would go. Call 443-614-6015 to arrange an in person viewing. Back of the neck shows where paint was never applied. Weighs about 4-5 pounds. A must have for the Hancock collector. $4500. |
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Oliver Lawson, Crisfield, MD. 1958 appox. 8 inch mallard. Famous Duck House label. Signed by "Tuts" . Mr. Lawson was making these for the Duck House for 3-4 years. Very collectable Crisfield school decoy. $500
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Early vintage Ira Hudson "football" style dipper by Delbert "Cigar" Daisey. This 1960 solid body bufflehead has tack eyes, ballast weight and a fluted paddle tail. Two small age cracks in wood do not detract. Dry original paint with some flaking. Note Henry Stansbury's book on Ira Hudson, page 81 for a reference. Rare decoy by one of our great Virginia makers. $1500. |
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Rare, new to market,pintail hen by Miles Hancock of Chincoteague, VA. This circa 1948 full bodied, original paint hen is approx 16 inches long, 5inches through the mid-body is made from cottonwood and is in dry scratch paint with very minor shrinkage on the tail. Not many sprigtail hens made, typically 10-20%. This decoy has been in a private collection for about 15 years. $2900.
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