Home Back My Cart : 0 item(s)

 

Bird Decoys of North America: Nature, History, and Art-NS

Bird Decoys of North America: Nature, History, and Art-NS
Sale Price: $24.00
Compared at: $40.00
You Save: $16.00
Product ID : 6-308

Purchase

Description

Bird decoys, which were first fashioned by Native American hunter-artists at least 1,500 years ago, are the only major folk art form to originate in North America. Today, decoys made during the heyday of decoy carving--roughly from 1840 to 1950--rank among the most avidly sought of all folk art collectibles, with some rare and outstanding examples fetching upwards of $8000,000 apiece at auction. These humble hunting tools, intended to deceive wildfowl by luring them into shooters' range, are now appreciated on many levels: as compelling works of sculpture, as exacting portraits of living and extinct species, and as irreplaceable historical objects. Successful decoy carvers of the past knew their prey intimately--spending countless hours observing game birds in the wild and then bringing their accumulated knowledge of different species' appearance and behavior to the carving bench. Because the works these artisans created were meant to attract avian eyes--conveying the essence of a bird's plumage, form, and attitude at a glance--older handmade decoys are deeply observed symbols of living birds that no merely decorative object, no matter how photographically accurate, can match. In this definitive, lavishly illustrated work, folk-art expert Robert Shaw chronicles the now-vanished era in which the great decoy makers pursued their craft. Shaw traces the natural history of North American bird species--more than sixty of which are represented in antique decoys. He relates the history of wildfowl hunting on this continent, detailing the excesses of nineteenth-century commercial hunting and the rise of a conservation movement aimed at ensuring bird species' long-term survival. He examines the distinctive forms produced in each major hunting area, from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Chesapeake Bay to the bayous of Louisiana and beyond. And, with a storyteller's gift for the entertaining anecdote, Shaw puts us in touch with the lives and circumstances of the decoy makers themselves.

Products You May Like

  • WOODTURNING WIZARDRY, revised edition

    WOODTURNING WIZARDRY, revised edition $27.95
    $16.77

    This fascinating guide gives woodturners the chance to create eye-catching and decorative projects using special tools and techniques. Spheres inside of spheres, delicate latticework, puzzles, whistling top, 20 projects in all. The book combines special techniques with special tools, chucks and exact measurement. Springett explains it all in precise style so that you too can perform magic with your lathe.

  • Home Remodeling: Planning • Design • Construction

    Home Remodeling: Planning • Design • Construction $24.95
    $14.97

    While new construction has slowed to a crawl and upgrading to a bigger house is no longer a sure thing, more and more homeowners are choosing to remodel. They’re actively looking for information on how to make their current home a better place to live. This collection of 36 articles from the experts at Fine Homebuilding lays out detailed information on every stage of remodeling—from planning and design to building and installation, upgrades, finishing, and clean-up. Coverage includes interior and exterior design and building strategies, as well as information on additions and tips for living comfortably through a remodel. With 300 color photographs, 75 drawings, practical sidebars, and case studies, this complete guide is a one-stop reference. For over 30 years Fine Homebuilding, based in Newtown, Connecticut, has been the magazine of choice for people who care about quality home improvement and construction. Today, with a circulation of 300,000, it is the best source of home improvement information, inspiring readers to build projects better, faster, and more efficiently.

  • Finishing a House: A Complete Guide from Installing Insulation to Running Trim

    Finishing a House: A Complete Guide from Installing Insulation to Running Trim $21.95
    $13.17

    Roe Osborn’s first book, Framing a House, tackled the complex art of house framing. Now, in this follow-up volume, he lays out all the steps and instruction required to complete the inside. The timing of each step is critical, and it’s important to understand what needs to be done first. Whether you’re finishing one room or the whole house, this richly illustrated reference demystifies the process and follows a logical progression from installing insulation and drywall to hanging cabinets and doors to putting down floors and running trim. Each chapter begins with the question: Should I tackle this step myself ? The pros and cons of hiring someone are then discussed. Applicable both for new construction and remodels and with 400 photographs and 20 drawings, this book shows DIYers how to make a house their own.

  • TURNING PENS AND PENCILS

    TURNING PENS AND PENCILS $17.95
    $10.77

    Here is the definitive guide to fashioning writing instruments, with superb photography that goes close-up and clarifies every procedure so that you can select the one that is best for you and your workshop. There are a host of possibilities for the pen maker to express their creativity. Fountain pens, twist pens, tapered rollerball, etc. You can use a lathe, ornamental milling, router in combination with a lathe, and a jewelers lathe. Includes a gallery of finished pens.

  • EXTREME PUMPKIN CARVING, 2nd ed.

    Extreme Pumpkin Carving Cover $14.99
    $8.99

    Providing a new twist on a holiday tradition, Extreme Pumpkin Carving, 2nd Edition illustrates how to carve fun three-dimensional faces and scenes in solid pumpkins (no hollowing necessary) using tools ranging from kitchen knives to carving gouges and chisels. Complete information is provided for getting started, including an overview of tools and tips for finding the best pumpkin to work with. Step-by-step instructions are detailed for using handy household tools to carve dramatic Halloween figures, and using professional tools for creating more elaborate and intricate details. Twenty frightful but fabulous pumpkin carving patterns are provided, along with full-color photographs of each finished carving. This is a great book for Halloween enthusiasts who are striving to create the best jack-o'-lantern on the block. It's also a perfect book for woodcarvers who are looking for new and inexpensive ways to celebrate Halloween. - See more at: http://www.foxchapelpublishing.com/extreme-pumpkin-carving-second-edition-revised-and-expanded#sthash.fTYCu8F5.dpuf

Call us: 800-345-4447

Full Website