The carved bird decoy is the only truly American folk art - for the
decoy as an aid to hunting was devised by the American Indians and
has grown as a useful art since the days of the colonists.
Decoy-carving was developed and refined to such a degree that now
early and well-carved birds are prized by collectors. This book,
full of stunning photographs, shows the best examples from both
public and private collections, and gives the reader an idea of the
great range, vigor, and variety of the birds. There are sandpipers,
curlews, ducks, geese, swans, gulls, herons, crows, loons, and many
others - (loons, being wary, were used as confidence birds). Along
with the birds are explanations of the highly varied and ingenious
methods of construction.
