Canada Goose
Charles Birch (1867-1956)
Willis Wharf, VA, c. 1920
24 1/2 in. long

Raised on Chincoteague, Birch moved south to Willis Wharf in Northampton County at age thirty-nine. He was a boatbuilder, waterman, and decoy carver. His decoys were very well regarded in their own time with rigs hunted over well beyond Virginia's waters, from North Carolina’s Gooseville Gun Club to Illinois’ Georgia Pacific Paper Gun Club. They continue to be coveted by collectors nationwide today.

Birch’s hollow birds with proud breasts and sweeping arched necks have long been collecting gems of the South. This example has a high crown which sweeps down to its inserted oak bill.
Original paint with some gunning paint successfully taken down, some touch-up, gunning wear, structurally sound.

Please email condition report requests to colin@copleyart.com. Any condition statement given is a courtesy to customers, Copley will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition.