Featured Duck decoy

Anyone know their duck decoys?
I bought this in Michigan, USA just to use as decor but I'd love to know more about it. It looks old but WDIK. Seller had been using it as decor and didn't know anything other than she'd been told it was a representation of a female or juvenile wood duck. Looks like a female mallard to me but again WDIK. It's nice that it came with a little wooden stand! It measures approximately 12 inches/30 cm long.
I'd love to know how old it might be, what wood it is carved from, what duck it may represent, and any ideas on the carver or value. (It's pretty plain so my guess is that's it's not worth much.)
Thanks!

 

High craft in the carving; large, sure strokes...superb grain in the body. Nice!

 

Actually, I think the plain ones were working decoys and not made for decoration and may be worth more. I do question the mark on the underside that looks like a sticker was there. It could have been a sticker that said "Made in China" or it could be a sticker from an auction house. It's hard to tell in a photo about the wood

 

that's no wood duck
I'll agree with mallard, and the wood is Red Cedar....
it turns grey over time ...

I looks like it was once used..... but also cared for ....

she's pretty...

 

I thought it might have once been a previous owner's identifying info sticker on the bottom, I can feel the stickiness. The area is about 1" x 0.5", a bit large for the typical "Made in China" sticker?

I've spent the last hour looking at old wooden duck decoys... the carved wings on the duck's back seem to be a less common feature, as well as the wooden plug eyes.

I thought maybe the particular wooden bit on the bottom with the hole for the chain might help in identifying a maker or age but I can't find any with quite the same shaped thing.

 

I just found THIS one which has the same type of wooden thing-y on the bottom and the two nails holding it in even look the same! It's also carved in a similarly chiseled-looking way. Unfortunately the seller didn't state any info other than "early- to mid-20th century".

EDIT: And THIS one.
I'm beginning to wonder if these are reproductions made to look old as decor.
Still, that would be fine, I paid peanuts and I'm only using it for display.
I've joined a Facebook decoy group and have submitted my photos and inquiry to them. We'll see...
BTW, google says duck decoys were traditionally made from white pine, white cedar, balsa, and tupelo... with white cedar being the wood of choice. I'd think that a decor repro maker wouldn't have bothered with using cedar, like this one is made from...?

 

you make a good point........ the similarities are indeed there!

 

I agree that it's cedar, and I like that the carver valued function over decoration. The simplest designs can be the most effective, so yes, I believe this was made to use, not merely to decorate.
If they were mine, I'd like to display them with a vintage or antique box of shotgun shells, and an old double barrel shotgun.

 

It's a very handsome piece. I like its economy of design.

Debora

 

Very charming decoy, bluumz. Love the plugs for eyes.

Agree.

Agree.

 

If you get some good information from them, please let us know.

 

It all looks in good condition with no quacks.

 

Ouch! As Charles Lamb said... "A pun is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect."

Debora

 

They approved my membership request about 30 minutes after I submitted it. I then immediately posted my inquiry... and it's been sat waiting for admin approval and not been posted to the group yet. I'll let you all know what they say.

 

Consensus on the duck decoy FB group seems to be that it's an Asian-made piece of home decor. I'd begun to suspect that based on it's "chippy" style of carving. Of all the other truly old decoys I'd looked at during my searches, none had that chippy look.
And yesterday, I found item#127171734263 on ebay. It has the same wood thing-y and chain on the bottom and doesn't look like a "real" decoy to my eye. (Though mine, IMHO, looks much nicer than the ebay one.)
Oh well, I like it.

 

I guess that's possible......did they mention the type of wood??

 

No, I'll ask.

 

Because we all have an old double barrel shotgun hanging around! LOL. . I grew up in a hunting family, but I don't think everyone did.