glass eyes, signed, 14 1/2" long....Tom Taber was born and raised in Michigan into a family of sportsmen along the great Michigan flyways. At an early age he was introduced to the sport of duck hunting by his Great Uncle "Doc" and they always hunted over Doc's finely carved decoys.Tom would often help his uncle repair and repaint the decoys over the Summer months in anticipation of the Fall season. After hundreds of dedicated hours helping his uncle, Tom became quite adept and very talented at the art of carving and painting decoys.Tom Taber has carved many special editions for Ducks Unlimited and has also carved many editions based on the early decoys his uncle created. He hand-finishes his carvings in semi-transparant stains and paint, which allow the natural warmth of the wood to show through.Many of his pieces are carved from well seasoned wood, often decades old, that show worm holes and other natural characteristics that can only be found in very old wood. Using distressed wood is a familiar aspect for some of his most beautiful carvings.His unique staining and coloring methods bring out the full warmth and grain of the wood, which in turn enhances the shading and coloring of his decoys that has also become his trademark.

excellent