Close up of markings on underside of Stephen Verity Black Duck
1 2015-01-31T16:24:57-08:00 Nancie Ravenel bc84e2b969fab7c5f039797f42318c7fcfc8159b 4136 5 Stephen Verity (Islip, NY, 1865-1950) Black Duck decoy, 1890. Cork, wood, paint, metal, leather. Collection of Shelburne Museum, bequest of Richard E. Bishop. 1975-27.25. plain 2017-08-07T05:45:51-07:00 1975-27.25 Shelburne Museum Nancie Ravenel bc84e2b969fab7c5f039797f42318c7fcfc8159bThis page has tags:
- 1 2015-02-01T12:18:38-08:00 Nancie Ravenel bc84e2b969fab7c5f039797f42318c7fcfc8159b Images of the Black Duck by Stephen Verity Nancie Ravenel 1 plain 2015-02-01T12:18:38-08:00 Nancie Ravenel bc84e2b969fab7c5f039797f42318c7fcfc8159b
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2015-02-01T12:10:55-08:00
Black Duck, 1975-27.25
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A cork black duck made by Stephen Verity, c. 1890.
plain
2017-08-07T05:50:49-07:00
1975-27.25
Shelburne Museum
This decoy was made by Stephen Verity, of Islip, NY, about 1890. The body of the decoy is made from two slabs of cork attached to a bottom board in a manner consistent with that described by Joel Barber in Wild Fowl Decoys. Each of the cork slabs measures approximately 2 inches in thickness. A wood shim serves as an interior armature to support the tail carved in cork, but is now exposed due to breakage of the surrounding cork. The head is made of carved wood and has eyes made of metal tacks with enamel coated heads. The paint layer on the head and base board is worn, but in tact. In contrast, most surface treatment undertaken on the cork is no longer extant. The underside of the decoy is marked with a stamp and in paint to indicate that it was once owned by Theodore Havemeyer (1839-1897).The manner in which the various elements are attached to one another are evident in the radiographs. The x-ray opaque material between seen between the layers of cork is likely to be an adhesive that contains lead, perhaps what Joel Barber referred to as "cement". Round shot is seen in the head and body, indicating that the decoy had been used in the field. Two slot-headed screws connected by a rectangular metal washer connect the head to the body.Some adjustment in the lateral view is required to observe the pegs that attach the bottom board to the lower cork layer in the radiograph.Using a technique called Volume RAD tomography, the tacks that make up the eyes and the hardware within the neck could be observed and measured with greater ease in the anterior-posterior orientation.
