Well, I'm still most definitely not going to become a decoy expert, but I do find myself gravitating to them more and more! For me, it is all about the combination of form and surface, and the ones I am drawn to are old hand-carved solid wood working decoys with great lines and minimal decoration. This one, earlyish 20th century I believe, and solid black but for a blue-gray bill and two light gray stripes on the beautifully shaped back, satisfies my criteria completely! I especially like that it has indeed been hunted over, with some shot marks on the top of the back. I find myself thinking of decoys like this as pure sculpture, and imagining them integrated into shelves filled with earthy studio pottery, carvings, and similarly sculptural found objects.
14 5/8" long x 5 1/4" wide x 7 1/2" tall. Very good, used condition, early 20th century I believe, with lead weight still attached bottom. The head attaches to a post and can be removed and turned.