Edson G. Gray (1891-1982)
Ocean View, DE, c. 1925
13 in. long
This bold bufflehead exhibits full features and subtle refinements. At thirteen inches long, this is one of the grandest examples of the species. The plump body draws down to a refined tail and the bird's plump head resolves with a sharp ridge from its crown down to the neck. Gray's decoys rank among the finest ever produced in Delaware.
Original paint with gunning wear, including some working repaint mostly along bottom, minor cracks along neck seam, and an old repair to the very tip of bill.
Provenance: Harold B. Evans Sr. Collection
Mike Lagerman Collection
Private Collection, New York, acquired from the above in 1984
Literature: Harold D. Sorenson, ed., "Decoy Collector's Guide 1967," "One Man's Buffleheads," Burlington, IA, 1967, p 36, exact decoy illustrated.
James L. Trimble, "Edson Gray: Southern Delaware's Finest Decoy Maker," Decoy Magazine, Lewes, DE, July/Aug. 2001, pp. 8-11.
Condition
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