Ira Hudson Bluebill Drake Decoy, Chincoteague, VA C. 1920 OP
This is one of my favorite decoys. The reason for that is the fact that the paint is bone-dry and original AND it has not been messed with. Some might have taken this piece to a restoration shop and had it's flaws removed and the paint touched up(blacklight un detectable) and no one would ever know. The fact that is still carries it's battle scars AND is in original paint makes it a super hard to find decoy. I love the area on the back where Ira filled the imperfection in the wood with putty before painting. Over time, the water worked it's way beneath the paint and degraded the filler and what you see is the result. If you look closely, you can see a hairline in the bill.
I cannot tell if the old bolt is the original ballast weight or not. A very cool swimming bluebill drake by one of the most legendary Chincoteague makers. The item "Ira Hudson Bluebill Drake Decoy, Chincoteague, VA C. 1920 OP" is in sale since Wednesday, December 16, 2015. This item is in the category "Sporting Goods\Hunting\Vintage Hunting\Duck Decoys".
The seller is "oldbaytradingcompany" and is located in Mount Airy, Maryland. This item can be shipped to United States.