Barrow’s Goldeneye Drake Decoy

Scarce Vintage Barrow’s Goldeneye Drake Decoy, signed RAS ’76. The Barrow’s Goldeneye is a very unusual, rare species to see as a decoy. This is a real gunning decoy made in the Massachusetts or Maine style, and was purportedly made in Maine (although I have not been able to learn anything about the maker RAS), but oddly the Barrow’s Goldeneye is a west coast species. Perhaps an incidental blew in one day, or the maker liked the plumage pattern in Peterson’s… either way it is a striking and bold decoy. The decoy has a sleek heads with recess carved and painted eyes, slightly upturned bill, neck set on flat shelf, broad body, paddle tail with grooves carved on upper surface; the bottom is inscribed RAS ’76, has a flat lead weight attached with nails and stamped RAS, and a copper wire line tie attached via two screws. The decoy is in just barely slightly worn original paint with yellow eyes, white cheek patch and boldly graphic wing patches against black head and back, and white bottom; it remains in all original sound condition. Measures: 6 in H x 13 1/4 in L x 5 3/4 in W.