Very Rare Exceptional Tom Taber Worm Wood Drake Widgeon Duck Decoy Great Detail

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Very Rare Exceptional Tom Taber Worm Wood Drake Widgeon Duck Decoy Great Detail:
$154.01

FantasticWorm Wood Highly Collectible Tom Taber Widgeon Duck Decoy w/ Great Paint and CarvingDetail

Description

While most Tom Taber decoys are certainly collectible, his worm wood decoys like this wigeon are some of the most sought after birds he has ever made. This particular widgeon is one of those decoy and a very nice on at that. For starters, Taber used excellent layered feather detail to the back of it to delineate the different feather groups including the primaries and overlayingtertials. He thendelicately carved the tail feathers in a layered approach that crowns in the middle just likeon a real bird. The head is carved sleek with a clean green \"mask\" that surrounds the eye on both sides and arcs towards the read of the head where both sides meet at a fine point. The crest of the head is anoff-white color, hence wherewidgeon got the name baldpate. the head is nicely set-back from the breast and with the shin of the bird being held high it forms a very pleasing sweep.Tater also used an excellent subtle paint scheme on thebill to showcase the bill features like the mandible and bill root. He used more direct approach though under the bill by carving two channels that help form the soft tissuetextures of a ducks lower bill. Carvedlife-size and fitted with three felt pads, this finewidgeon measures 12 3/4\" long, 5\" wide, and 5 3/4\" tall. It is signed with electro pen Tom Taber in the bottom and \"Widgeon Drake\" is written in the boat in lead pencil.Both he carving and paint on this decoy are absolutely exceptional making this bird one oftaker\'s finest creations.

Condition Report

All original and in superb condition.Taterartificiallyaged these wormwood decoys by using a very thin layer of paint on them to let the grain show through. This process created a very very realistic and \"antiqued\" looking bird. A master at work. The only thing worth noting is a few small handling marks on the sides of the decoy. Everything else is as it should be including the high-quality taxidermygradeglass eyes. Even the photos can\'t do this bird justice and until the new owner gets it in handanything I say to state how superb this decoy is won\'t do it justice.

I have done my best to document this decoy through both the text above and the photographs. Please look over all the photos and if you have any questions or request any additional images, please just ask before offerding. I will do my best to accommodate any and all requests. The decoy you are seeing is the exact one you will be getting, therefore, there should be no surprises if you have taken the time to scroll through all the photos and read the text. While I do not generally take returns, I will accept a return if there is something blatant that I missed or failed to disclose. This doesn\'t happen often, in fact it never has to date, as I am generally diligent with my assessment of the decoy and provide detailed photographs, but something could get missed. I am human after all. Unless the decoy is listed in 100% original paint, expect some old hunter touch-up. Almost every single decoy I have for sale was in fact a working decoy part of a larger rig and subject to typical gunning wear including rubs that were typically touched-up between hunting seasons as a way to pass the time during the off-season. Some of these decoys are more than 100 years old and over the course of many hunting seasons it is bound to happen. Overall, I am easy to work with and more than willing to be helpful in any way possible.

Carver\'s Name/History

Having made many thousands of decoy, Tom Taber\'s work has been seen at many Ducks Unlimited events, in antique shops, at art galleries, andbeyond. He is one of the mostnotablecontemporary carvers and his works aren\'t just accurate depictions of real life, they are truly one-of-a-kind works of art despite him having made many of each type of decoy. Being hand carved and painted, each bird takes on its own form andshape and no two are truly 100% alike. That makes them all special. These worm wood decoys are very special and made from a worm wood that is distressed and likely 60-80 years old. You can denote a worm wood decoy by looking for small \"pock\" marks in the wood. On this decoy, the bottom hasmultiple ones on the bottom. Tom Taber was born and raised in Michigan alongside of a family of hunters that sparked his interest in waterfowl and subsequently his interest in bird carving. His decoys are very collectible and his skill has certainly been recognized not only by hunters andcollectors, but by people that enjoy fine wildlife art.

Shipping Information

Each decoy will be carefully packed to ensure no damage occurs in transit, under normal handling practices of course. I strive to ship all items within two business days, but sometimes life gets in the way and it may take an additional day to get the package shipped out to you. I don\'t want the decoy to arrive damaged and neither do you, so if I am short on packaging please understand that the third day, which occurs less than 2% of the time, is most likely due to having to purchase additional peanuts, bubble wrap, or a more adequately sized box. I will also gladly combine shipping typically for less than half of normal postage on the lowest priced shipping charge when two purchases are made, and shipped, at the same time. My shipping charges are as close to actual as I can adequately gauge. I don\'t like to use the shipping calculator as it is often incorrect. Be assured that I am not making money on shipping as supplies like tape, boxes, peanuts, and etc. all quickly add up. In fact, in most cases I am losing $ on shipping, but that is just part of the sellers experience. For international shipments buyers can use \'s Global Shipping Program or contact me for a quote. The choice is yours. In most cases I always ship USPS, but in certain scenarios where a package is heavy or being shipped to the west-coast, UPS may be used. All shipping charges are for the lower 48 states only, shipping to Hawaii or Alaska will incur additional charges.

Terms

Most of my decoys are for sale as a high-buyer gets it in a straight-laced no-reserve sale. I say most because as you see some decoys will have a modest/fair-market reserve. For the most part I am simply cleaning out my current collection and whittling it down to what I want to keep. Call it down-sizing if you will. So to that, I am not interested in taking a major hit and I am OK with keeping them for my own collection. I will also from time to time have a few fixed-price listing for items that I feel are better suited for potentially a singular buyer. I am easy to get along with. If a decoy doesn\'t meet reserve, let\'s talk. I am also always looking for select Ontario-carved decoys, so keep in touch.

*NOTE: As with most sporting collectibles, along with being a great addition to a game room or home decor, vintage decoys have shown to be a sound investment that seldom decrease in value. Each decoy is truly a One-Of-A-Kind item as no two hand-carved decoys are exactly alike and with so few available decoys from each carver, as time passes, they will surely only increase in value

*Be sure to add my to your favorite sellers/searches. I have many more decoys to add from all regions including the Chesapeake Bay, Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, New York, Illinois, the St. Lawrence River, region and the Maritimes in the coming days/weeks from various makers from Ben Schmidt to George Warin to Anger and will always hold shipments to combine shipping.