Two extremely well carved Pintail Duck Decoys from the carving studio of Ed & Esther Burns. "Pintail drake – 1974 – Ed and Esther Burns –'The Ducks Nest' – St. Michaels, MD." Each 4"x4"x12"long. In addition in this lot are Two Black Duck Decoys signed H. Morgan. The larger 7"x7"x16"long, the smaller 2 1/2"x3"x6"long. Weight on all 4 pds. 10 oz. PROVENANCE: A Private Charleston SC Estate. Ed Burns passed away in 2006 and Esther in 2017. Neither had ever had an art lesson, but they have won many honors, including the prestigious award of Artist and Carver of the year for the Southern Wildlife Art Exposition, which was presented in Charleston, S.C., in February 1988, as well as Best in Show at the Oklahoma Wildlife Art Festival in Tulsa. They were among only six carvers whose works were displayed for Princess Anne of Great Britain during her visit to Maryland's Eastern Shore. They have been featured on two special television programs, one here and one for European audiences. The Burns’ legacy will live in the memories and art of the many carvers they both taught. He often taught classes from a renovated chicken coop studio called Duck Nest Farms, near his house. Esther taught painting in the front of the studio and Ed would teach carving in the back. The class size usually ranged from five students up to ten or twelve. Carvers Lee Walker of Easton, the late Frank Draper of Centreville, Bill Hickson of Cordova and Don Fundingsland of Wisconsin all have attributed their carving education to the Burnses.

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