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Wooden carved and painted decoy representing a swan, with a curved body and wings in bas relief. It has a sharply arched two piece neck, a downward pointed head, yellow bill and incised whittling to indicate feathers on its sides. There are many layers of paint, possibly gesso, and including an early application of black to the neck, bill and stripe on the head and breast. [May have been a black swan at one time.] Felt is attached to the bottom.
decoys
carving (processes)
gesso
painting (coating)
wood (plant material)
figure- and animal-derived motifs
Wood
Painted
Carved
Decoy
Original to Cogswell's Grant (Essex, Mass.),
Attributed to Williams, John, 1859-1937 (Maker)
Cedar Island, NC, USA
13 1/2 x 5 1/2 (HxD) (inches)
Gift of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little
1991.1175
North Carolina (United States)
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