eBay

collectingdomeng1 · ‎04-09-2022

Hello everyone,

I need a little help with this poor old duck. I love the distressed look of it though. The signature says O. Peterson 1955, but he passed in 1951 . Any help would be great!

Thanks!!

maxine*j · ‎04-09-2022

I didn't do a lengthy search, but I looked several of O(scar) Peterson's duck decoys that sold at major auction houses and none of them were signed on the bottom like this. He was, of course, far more famous for his fish decoys, anyhow.

So, given that and given that and the 1951 date for his death, I think it's safe to rule out the famous O. Peterson as the carver.

Unfortunately, Peterson is a fairly common surname and the O could be Oscar, Orville, Oliver, Otto, Omar, Oswald, et al.

By the way, is this actually decoy-sized, or is it just a little carving? I agree that it has charm.

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collectingdomeng1 · ‎04-09-2022

Thank for your reply! It is 11” long.

maxine*j · ‎04-09-2022

@collectingdomeng1 wrote:
Thank for your reply! It is 11” long.

Big enough to be used as an actual decoy, then. It doesn't look familiar to me as a particular species of North American waterfowl, but decoys often aren't realistic designs.

Sorry I can't be of much help.

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mmadigan · ‎04-09-2022

The way the letters are made would you be able to tell the difference between a D & O?

argon38 · ‎04-10-2022

I know very little about duck decoys, but like most collectible items they can no doubt be faked. Certainly, Peterson's fish decoys seem to attract the unscrupulous:

"The work of Michigan's Oscar Peterson seems to provide an unlimited opportunity for forgers."

http://www.fishdecoy.com/fake.html

https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/05/30/collectors-catch-colorful-hand-carved-decoys-have-become-incre...

I wouldn't discount the theory that the the idea here was to make a quick buck at the expense of some eager buyer, faced with making a quick choice and impressed by the sight of a famous name ("what if...?"). The impossible date would have safeguarded the seller against the charge of intentional fakery, if challenged.

maxine*j · ‎04-10-2022

What you say is possible. I sometimes think that decoys are the single most-faked item for sale in the U.S. antiques and collectibles market.

That's especially true of the fish decoys, which are for ice fishing with a spear or gig. There really aren't that many places in the U.S. with Winters that make for ice fishing.

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