1984 Hand-Carved Western Decoy Butternut Wooden "Ring Bill" Drake to Duck Signed

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An exceptional hand-carved, late-20th-century California “Ring Bill” decoy, it's work by a skilled Western folk artisan drake duck, sculpted in … Read more An exceptional hand-carved, late-20th-century California “Ring Bill” decoy, it's work by a skilled Western folk artisan drake duck, sculpted in 1984 by Bud Garlick from solid butternut wood—also known as white walnut—highlights the bird's feathered features from wood grain, adding a golden glow and gorgeous deep, swirling, rounded patterns. He followed the natural contours of the bird's back. From Placerville and the American River Gold Rush canyons, Bud became a highly polished California wildlife artisan, representing an era of consistent passionate mid-to-late 20th-century woodcrafters and craftsmen who specialized continuing traditional,often low-yield pieces carved entirely by hand. Bud's Ben Franklin store began his background of art and craft products during the era of the next door first Thomas Kinkade studio. Bridging traditional Americana folk art with clean, minimalist-modern lines, the piece features a traditional hollow-body construction method engineered to reduce overall weight for hunters transporting their rigs into the marshlands. By achieving a buoyant design, the bird's body was split horizontally, hand-hollowed, and permanently rejoined with a visible quarter-inch bottom seam line at the base. This one's intriguing internal rattle inside the hollow cavity displays a hallmark of this authentic construction style, likely from a ballast weight snapped loose over the decades. The smooth finish captures the sleek neck contours and elegant upswept tail, elevating it from a standard hunting tool into a highly refined studio-crafted piece. Striking the perfect balance between rustic cabin charm and refined sculptural artistry, an unpainted, high-finish wood that has some age-related patina, and ideal as a high-end decorative object, styling masculine office bookshelves, transitional mantle displays, or curated library vignettes. The flat base offers a clean, handwritten festive ink inscription to his relative, “Ring Bill / Butternut Wood / Made by Bud Garlick / Christmas 1984," to serve as a built-in authenticity and provenance remaining hidden below. Bud Garlick moved his studio to Vacaville, near San Francisco, to follow migrating wildlife from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and great creative inspiration. The nearby riparian California’s wide river habitats and sweeping marshlands follow the Pacific flyway within expansive wetlands, home to large numbers of migratory waterfowl. The decoy art seamlessly accents minimalist Organic Modern living rooms, Hollywood Regency, or eclectic Grandmillennial bookshelves with texture and provenance. See less