1970s Decoys

Pat Gardner Carved and Decorated Spotted Sandpiper, 1977, a rare Nantucket "peep" hand carved and painted by island folk artist Pat Gardner, mounted with iron wire legs on a driftwood stump, signed and dated on the belly. The bird remains in excellent condition except for the short bill... this peep in life would have a pretty long bill. The legs mount loosely in the driftwood. Mary Patricia Gardner was born and lived her whole life on Nantucket. She studied under Frank Swift Chase...

Carved Natural Plover by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, circa 1970, a carved wooden plump plover in natural wood finish, with wire legs, mounted on a driftwood base. This style is well known on Nantucket and is typically unsigned, but unmistakably Pat's work and is 100% guaranteed. The sculpture is in excellent condition. Mary Patricia Gardner was born and lived her whole life on Nantucket. She studied under Frank Swift Chase, Ruth Haviland Sutton and Earl S. Ray, and was influenced by her grandfather Wallace Gardner, who was a trained sculptor. She became a member of the Artists Association of Nantucket in 1947. She was best known for her shorebird carvings, but also worked in watercolor and printmaking. She is viewed as one of the greater talents of her generation on Nantucket. Her work is highly sought after but only rarely appears on the market. This bird is from the personal collection of the late Nantucket antiques...

Carved and polychromed plover by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, 1974, a carved wooden plump plover with delicately painted plumage and wire legs, mounted on a driftwood stump, signed and dated on the belly. The sculpture is in great condition with only a tiny rub to the tip of the beak, and a fingerprint sized smudge to the white on the lower left side. Mary Patricia Gardner was born and lived her whole life on Nantucket. She studied under Frank Swift Chase, Ruth Haviland Sutton and Earl S. Ray, and was influenced by her grandfather Wallace Gardner, who was a trained sculptor. She became a member of the Artists Association of Nantucket in 1947. She was best known for her shorebird carvings, but also worked in watercolor and printmaking. She is viewed as one of the greater talents of her generation on Nantucket. Her work is highly sought after but only rarely appears on the market. This bird is from the personal collection of the late Nantucket antiques...

Carved and Polychromed Killdeer by Pat Gardner, Nantucket, 1973, a carved wooden alert shorebird with delicately painted plumage, glass eyes and wire...

Jean Charles Berruet wood duck Drake decoy, Nantucket, 1976, a scarce carved and polychromed duck decoy by Jean Charles Berruet, former owner and head chef of the famous Chanticleer Restaurant on Nantucket Island. Jean Charles was a noted, award winning competition decoy carver in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as an avid antique decoy...