This Decoy’s Markings May Not Indicate Its True Origins

Q: I’m looking to find more information on this duck decoy. My father left it to me when he passed.

A: Your decoy bears the name A.E. Crowel. But we caution you not to jump to any conclusions about the piece’s origins. A. Elmer Crowell (1862-1952) of East Harwich, Mass., was one of history’s greatest decoy makers and bird carvers. Crowell acquired his understanding of bird anatomy and plumage patterns during a lifetime observing and hunting Cape Cod’s abundant indigenous and migratory bird populations. As a master carver, Crowell’s work is in great demand by collectors and museums. Last year, one of his preening black duck decoys (c. 1905), featuring chip- and relief-carving on its crossed wings, sold for $480,000 at Guyette & Deeter Auctions.

Crowell’s early decoys were not stamped; to identify these works, you must be able to recognize his carving and painting techniques. In ensuing years, he used an oval burned-in stamp; an oval rubber stamp with a touch of modem advertising: “A.E. Crowell, Maker, High Class Decoys of every description, East Harwich, Mass.” (used on mantel birds); a paper label; and a rectangular steel stamp which indented the wooden base with: “AE. Crowell, Maker, East Harwich, Mass.” He did not mark some of his miniatures. On others, he penciled the species name on the base or signed it in ink: “AE. Crowell, Cape Cod.”

Crowell was a true artist and his work reflected that. It’s difficult to determine the quality of the decoy through your photographs, and the identification on the bottom of the decoy doesn’t correspond with what we know of Crowell’s marks. We encourage you to contact Guyette & Deeter or the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, for more help determining its origins.