COLLECTABLE ANTIQUE REDHEAD DRAKE GUNNING DECOY – CAPT HARRY R JOBES (1936-2019)

Description

We got this circa 1980 Captain Harry Jobes Gunning Decoy in a large lot of his decoys during a recent auction held in Connecticut. Several of his rig-mates are also available via other of my eBay auctions.
This
Redhead Drake
is an excellent example of an Upper Chesapeake Bay Gunning Decoy from Havre de Grace, MD. It has been hunted hard during its 40 or so years of life. This small body, unsanded gunning decoy is one member from a large diver duck rig used by a CT gun dealer. It is offered as found right out of the rig.
This hard-working decoy has a great profile.
The roughly 40-year-old drake is offered in "As Found" condition. He has a Very Nicely Carved Smaller Size Solid Pine Body with a rounded bottom and a sweet upswept tail.
This guy has a stress crack on his back.
It is rigged for gunning with a lead ballast weight and a ring and stapple line tie. The former owner used wire to rig his birds. This one still shows his wire.
This working decoy was made quickly and roughly by Captain Harry. It was made to gun - not to sit on a shelf. Both the body and the head show little no signs of sanding.
The decoy’s rough-carved head features a wide, boldly carved beak. The eyes are painted.
The decoy is in Original Paint. This drake has a full set of back and wing feathers. Captain Harry's paint found on this older, used decoy is a statement to his skills with a paint brush.  The patina this decoy has acquired over the years is outstanding. Each one of these Captain Jobes' gunned over rig-mates shows slight bits of feather paint variances. As a result, s
ome collectors have bought as many as five of these hard-to-find small body gunning decoys with a unique patina from the cold northern waters of New England.
In addition to Captain Harry's unique heads, body style and sweet paint, these decoys wear his "HRJ" brand on their bottoms.
This Decoy Shows Very Well - Sits about 7 3/4 Inches Tall when Displayed on a plastic stand – Decoy End to End is about 11 inches – Decoy is about 6 Inches Wide – Total Weight is 1 Pounds and 7 Ounces.
More Pictures Available.