Decoys: A Celebration of Contemporary Wildfowl Carving (Hardcover)

~ Laurel Aziz (Author), Ernie Sparks (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

There were pictograms of five tethered ducks in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Fourth-century B.C. Greeks pulled painted birds on strings to attract other birds. Early American settlers made crude reed-and-wood fake wildfowl to attract the real birds. Decoys have been around for over 3000 years, but in the late 19th century fine hand-carved decoys were replaced by mass-produced balsa, or plastic birds, making the decoy craftsmen obsolete. In 1968 the Ward Foundation, named for two famed carvers, was founded, and in 1971 the annual Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition began. This volume looks at the work of 23 of these modern practitioners. Following a brief interview with each artist are lush, full-page color photos of their carvings. Black duck, redhed drake, mallard, or brant goose, the detail is such that the viewer expects the bird's eyes to blink and its head to turn. Highly recommended.
Joseph Hewgley, Nashville P.L.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This near-perfect album of outstanding contemporary duck decoys should forever knock the scales from the eyes of anyone who still thinks of them as only rudimentary, practical devices for luring birds within hunters' sights and as, at their best, fit for display only in museums of folk art. Indeed, as Sparks' exemplary color photos of the works of 22 of their creators elegantly show, the word decoy can be applied to these examples only with affectionate and nostalgic irony. They are superb, realistic wood sculptures, carved, painted, and occasionally, to achieve the artist's desired effect, augmented by materials other than the basic wood--see Pat Godin's very subtly spectacular pair of American pigeons and then read how he achieved the intimacy of gesture between the birds in Aziz's typically graceful and efficient note on Godin. It may surprise many that the artists, who range from a 60-year-old former pro-baseball player to mid-20s brother and sister carvers, are often full-time decoy makers; however, with prizes and collectors paying thousands for single decoys, it shouldn't Ray Olson

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 122 pages
• Publisher: Camden House (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0921820836
• ISBN-13: 978-0921820833
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,535,747 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect book for lovers of decoys., September 14, 2000

By	Barry L. Richards "Barry Richards" (Tell City, In. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A perfect book for the man or women who loves decoys. No need to be a hunter to enjoy these wonderful pictures. Makes a great gift. And a beautiful coffee table book. Five stars plus.