Crisfield, Maryland, circa 1920s, carved and painted wood, glass eyes.

Length 18 in.

The Ward Brothers commonly referred to themselves as wildfowl counterfeiters in wood. What set the Ward decoys apart was the superb painting schemes. The Wards were known for their outstanding artistic ability and used unique painting techniques. Their painting has been called impressionistic as each decoy was unique with its own feathering scheme. They used sharp edge styling and always included beautiful speculums, even though it was seldom seen on live bird. The Ward humpback decoy has been an icon in folk art for decades. This pintail has gracefully turned head to right, wonderful paint application, and a bold sculptural form, extremely rare.

Original paint, restoration of the tail by Cameron McIntyre, area in the breast repaired and paint matched.