Rare Feeding Merganser Drake
Augustus “Gus” Aaron Wilson (1864-1950)
South Portland, ME, c. 1900
20 1/2 in. long

“Maine’s greatest and most prolific carver was Augustus Aaron “Gus” Wilson... Wilson had few equals among decoy makers as a sculptor, only his contemporary Ira Hudson in Virginia carved so wide a variety of forms. Wilson carved both heads and bodies freehand, holding the piece of wood in his hands, and this approach allowed him the tactile immediacy that characterizes his work. His best birds are at once powerful and imaginative.” — Robert Shaw, "Bird Decoys of North America"

Merganser decoys have always held a special place amongst carvers and collectors of decoys and folk art. The species’ animated forms and striking plumage lend themselves to artistic designs of virtually endless interpretations. Makers and collectors have been captivated by these seemingly playful diving birds, making them among the most celebrated of all decoys.

Wilson was born “Down East,” on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Though he is foremost remembered as a carver, Wilson was also a boatbuilder, waterman, outdoorsman, and a lighthouse keeper. He was an attendant to a number of Maine’s lighthouses, including the Marshall Point Light at Port Clyde, Great Duck Island Light, Goose Rocks Station on Fox Island, Two Lights Station on Cape Elizabeth, and Spring Point Light in Casco Bay.

Wilson’s interests were by no means limited to decoys. He carved a variety of songbirds, decoratives, weathervanes, and big cats. A pair of Wilson tigers is featured in the American Identities exhibit, on display as a part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York.

This rare merganser sculpture showcases the decoy as American folk art. The body has bold, raised wing carving and the inletted head is in a reaching position. A strip of leather is held through a slot in the base of the bill to represent a morsel of food. Wilson’s attention to anatomy is commendable, with the inside of the lower bill accurately painted red. The intricate bill’s survival is remarkable given the bird’s use as a hunting decoy. The underside is inscribed “Chester Marshall, Marshall Point Light House, Port Clyde, Maine.”
Original paint with even gunning wear. A few old paint drips. Tight age line in back of neck.

Provenance: Private Collection, New York

Literature: Robert Shaw, “Bird Decoys of North America,” New York, NY, 2010, pp. 147-149.Robert Bishop, "American Folk Sculpture," New York, NY, 1985, p. 302, pl. 560, related mallard illustrated.Alan G. Haid and Brandy S. Culp, “The Allure of the Decoy: Historic Charleston Foundation Presents Masterworks from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Alan G. Haid,” Charleston, SC, 2013, p. 15, rigmate illustrated.Richard A. Bourne Co., Inc., "Rare American Decoys & Bird Carvings," Hyannis, MA, February 1 & 2, 1985, front cover and lot 117A, rigmate illustrated.