Broadbill Drake
Ira D. Hudson (1873-1949)
Chincoteague, VA, c. 1935
13 in. long

A bold gunning decoy with a grand body, lively paint, and deeply fluted banjo tail. The excellent condition of this decoy suggests that it was never hunted, and it is possible that Bush collected it directly from the maker.

The unattached wooden base bears the painted inscription "Broad-Bill (Scaup) Male / Made by Ira N. [sic] Hudson Cincoteague [sic] Virginia."
Original paint with minimal wear, some crazing mostly around wing tips and on front sides, crack along top right side.

Provenance: Walter L. Bush Collection Collection of a New York City Museum, acquired from the above in 1953 Private Collection

Literature: Henry A. Fleckenstein Jr., "Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region," Exton, PA, 1979, p. 195, closely related decoy illustrated.