Russ Dedekind (20th c., Berks County, PA) Duck Decoy, \"Glass Eye Pine Pier Wood\" For Sale

Up for sale is an authentic, exceptionally carved, full size Upper Chesapeake/Eastern Coastal Region (Berks County, PA), Hand Crafted New Jersey White Cedar, \"Glass Eyes Pine Pier Wood\" Working Duck Decoy, circa 1970\'s-1980\'s by Master Carver Russ Dedekind and brother Mike Dedekind (American, 20th Century). It is nicely carved with original patina of dock/pier wood. It features a natural unfinished body, glass eyes with base to support the flat bottom and is branded R. Dedekind. It is also numbered what looks like 1021 and is also signed Mike Dedekind with the number 3 in ink next to the brand.
Dedekind said he\'s made more than 1,300 since he began carving them in 1974. Each decoy is numbered and identifies the maker. He keeps meticulous ownership records on each [...]Most are purchased for décor rather than being used for luring unsuspecting ducks, he said. They\'re hollow, so they\'re less likely to crack as they age, and made from up to six pieces of wood. He\'s in the habit of placing a penny in each hollow bird, to rattlearound inside as proof. He carves them all by hand, only using power tools to rough out the shape. Because the power tools need setup for different tasks, the preliminary stages are done in batches. Dedekind\'s ducks-in-progress are in rows on shelves, but also in buckets and bins bulging with heads, all in various stages of assembly. In his basement workshop, it seems every available space is brimming with decoys in various stages of completion.Once the body is rough-cut, Dedekind finishes them by hand using a drawknife and other implements. Key to the process is his self-made German schnitzelbank, literally translated as \"scrap bench\" or \"chip bench.\" It is a type of sit-down vise, where the craftsman can clamp odd-shaped objects securely using foot pressure on the jaws of the device. When he is at craft or guild shows, he brings copies of his plans for anyone who would like to make their own. While he may study photos and reference books for accuracy, he does the carving from memory. All of his designs are original. Most of the bodies are pine or cedar. It takes one to two days to produce a decoy, plus the time to paint it. Dedekind does most of the hard work during winter, and sells his birds at guild shows. Some of his birds are in museums. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. His brother, Michael, also is known to carve a few ducks, but his specialty is carved walking sticks. Dedekind said decoy carving is one of the few crafts left indigenous to North America. He said that while 1,000-year-old decoys have been found, there is no record of any European decoys. (Source: \"Reading Eagle Newspaper\" online)
This decoymeasures 12\" long, the body is 7\" tall, and it is about 5 3/8\" wide. The stand seen in some of the photos is included with the decoy for the buyer. A very unusual styled high quality decoy and a extraordinary piece of American Folk Art, a great decoy for any premium collection and important piece of Chesapeake Region/Eastern US Coastal History. Please see my other sales for more early pieces of Americana and folk art including two more very early decoys I have decided to sell from my personal collection acquired over the last 35 years in the antiques business.
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