Early Mallard Pair
Charles H. Perdew (1874-1963)
Henry, IL, c. 1920
16 3/4 in. long

An early and hard-to-find rigmate pair with strong two-piece hollow body form and Edna's exceptional paint. Her brushwork is notably showcased on the hen's back. These regional archetype decoys retain their early poured strip weights.
A closely related pair from the Figge Collection is illustrated and glowingly described in Ann Lacy's definitive monograph on the maker.
Original paint with even gunning wear.

Provenance: Brewer Rig
Private Collection

Literature: Ann Tandy Lacy, "Perdew: An Illinois River Tradition," Muncie, IN, 1993, title page, related pair illustrated, p. 110, Figge pair illustrated and discussed. Stephen O'Brien and Julie Carlson, "Masterworks of the Illinois River," Boston, MA, 2005, p. 68, early Figge pair illustrated.

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