Lot 554
Duck Decoy - Hand Carved. A female widget, hand carved by Ward Brothers, Crisfield, MD. Original paint. Neck has been repaired. This is a work of art--unbelievably beautiful. Brothers Lem and Steve Ward (born in the mid 1890s) were barbers who carved decoy ducks and waterfowl in their spare time. They gained national fame after National Geographic Magazine wrote an article about them in 1964. Their work is treasured more as art today than for its utility.
The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury, MD., honors the Ward Brothers and the art of decoy carving. Here is a quote from the Chesapeake Bay Journal about the Ward Brothers: "Their carvings were especially lifelike. Unlike most decoy makers of the time, Lem and Steve gave unique expressions and poses to their birds. They took to studying the subtle coloration patterns on dead birds, and reviewed birds both in the wild and in books. As a result, no two decoys were ever quite alike. 'Ducks,' Lem once explained, 'are like people and fingerprints.' Some hunting clubs refused to use any decoys that didn't come from the Ward brothers."
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
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| Realized $3,643 |
