Red-Breasted Merganser Decoy

Dateprobably 1900-1920

OriginAmerica, Massachusetts, North Truro

MediumPainted wood, lead, and leather.

DimensionsOverall: 7 x 20 x 6in. (17.8 x 50.8 x 15.2cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1980.702.7

DescriptionMerganser decoy carved from three pieces of wood and painted black back, white insert on sides and red breast. A lead weight is dove-tailed into the wooden keel on the underside and secured with iron screws. A leather loop is attached to the underside in back of keel.
Label TextSince the first years of settlement, Americans have been involved with the sea and its resources. The harvesting of fish, shellfish, and waterfowl were among the early enterprises that developed along the East Coast. Likely, American Indians were the first to use bird lures or decoys to attract flocks to their hunting areas, and European settlers later adapted to their methods. As a result, a reliable demand and established market for edible waterfowl emerged, leading numerous carvers to produce decoys during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
ProvenanceBefore 1972-1980, Quintina Colio (New York, NY); 1980-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.