Great Blue Heron Decoy

Origin: Probably Long Island, New York
Circa: 1900
Materials & Dimensions: Softwood body with hardwood neck and head, original paint, with custom base. Height 30 inches, width 29¾ inches, depth 5 inches.

Description:
This remarkably sculptural great blue heron decoy demonstrates the elegance and economy found in the best American decoy carving. Probably made on Long Island around 1900, the bird is reduced to its essential form through a simplified silhouette, restrained paint toning, and dramatic attenuated proportions.

The body is carved from the solid, with a tapering square-contoured neck and beveled edges joined to the carved head by a mortise-and-tenon construction. The result is a spare, highly abstracted form that captures the presence of the species with very little excess detail. Few antique decoys achieve this degree of simplicity, line, and sculptural force.

Prior to the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty with Canada, which gave protected status to the species, a decoy of this type may have been used as a lure for hunters seeking herons, or possibly as a confidence decoy.

Provenance / Notes:
With custom base.