Beautiful 17 ½” Open Mouth, Curved Tail Trout Carving by Carl Christiansen, Newberry, Michigan, circa early 2000s. Christiansen is a self-taught carving and artist who is well documented in Frank Baron’s Commercial Fish Decoys. The Carl Christiansen Lure Company was formed in 1979, and as the business grew, Christiansen’s carving skills grew with it. He typically carved 6” fish decoys displaying outstanding paint patterns sold in both wooden boxes and decorated cardboard box. These efforts expanded into a wide array of decorative fish carvings and fishing displays. This Fully Carved Wooden Trout is an example and his Finest Decorative Fish Carvings. Both the Carving Details and the Elaborate Paint Execution offers an Outstanding Vision of the Trout. (See especially the range of photographs.) The Artist has Signed and Numbered his work: “Carl Christiansen / #133” (The numbers relate to his larger fish carvings.) This Christiansen Trout is A Wonderful Opportunity for a Serious Fish Decoy Collector.

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Price $345 plus shipping

Classic 5 ½” Attractor Ice Spear Fishing Decoy by Cyril Bethel (1900 – 1980), Park Rapids / Nevis, Minnesota, circa 1960s. Cyril was the brother of the well-known Pearl Bethel, though Cyril was somewhat more eccentric than his brother. His decoys are also distinctly different with the most obvious difference found in the placement of the decoy eyes. Cyril’s paint eye placement is virtually at the top of the head. The form of the body and the fins are also different from Pearl’s fish. There is a good description of Cyril’s fish in Donald Petersen’s Folk Art Fish Decoys, and for collectors of Cyril’s decoys, his work is clearly a Folk Art that emerges from a Practical Activity. This Fish is probably as Basic as they come. The Strong Original Paint presents a Greenish-Yellow Body on Top, with Bold White Eyes Over Black, leading to a Bright Yellow Bright Bottom with Black Dots along the Sides. The Early Tin Fins are Painted Black with White Stripes on Top and Yellow on Bottom; the Tail is Black with White Tips.  Stand not included. Fish Decoys by Cyril Bethel have a Strong Folk Art Character.

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Price $145 plus shipping

Splendid 8” Musky Ice Spear Fishing Decoy with Jig Stick by John V. Snow (1932 – 2010), Luc du Flambeau – Ojibwe -, Wisconsin, circa 1990s. Native American fish decoys as represented by John Snow are considered to be a part of an historical functional Ojibwe sculpture. Snow’s more colorful decoys were designed for use in darker waters and had a bold White Underside. Recognizing the importance of Native American fish decoys, Snow helped bring the functional value of spear fishing decoy into the arena of Folk Art collectibles. This Musky is in Excellent Original Condition; Signed “John V. Snow: on the end of the tail and “Wahzhashk” (his Native American name) on the bottom side. The Jig Stick is approximately 11” in length and Original to the decoy. No stand included. An Outstanding Native American Fish Decoy. A copy of an article from the Wisconsin Historical Society feathering John Snow, the historical activity of spear fishing, and a similar fish is included with the sale.

(FD629) Click on Photo for larger images. Contact us for additional information.  SOLD

Top-of-the-Line 14” Crayfish Ice Spear Fishing Decoy by Gerald Finch (1932 – 2015), Afton, Michigan, circa 1998. Finch’s obituary indicates that he was a quality finish carpenter and a skilled wood carver of fish decoys. This Fish Decoy represents Finch’s ability as a creative carver producing a decoy of rare type with a great deal of ingenuity. It is exceptionally well carved and deliberately designed and weighted for use. Though presented as a “critter” for ice spear fishing, it was clearly created for the collector’s market and comes from a Michigan collection. It is in Excellent Original Condition and Exceptionally Appealing.

(FD631)  Click on Photo for larger images. Contact us for additional information.  

SOLD