Ultra-Rare Hercule Laviolette Hen Goldeneye Duck Decoy c1930 Valleyfield Quebec

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Ultra-Rare Hercule Laviolette Hen Goldeneye Duck Decoy c1930 Valleyfield Quebec:
$499.95

Hercule Laviolette c.1930 Hen Whistler Duck Decoy Very Few Ever Made by this Valleyfield Carver

Description

Nephew of noted Valleyfield, Quebec carver Henri Laviolette, decoys made by Hercule have a similiar, yet distinctly different form. For starters, decoys by Hercule are shorter in length and exhibit a slightly different style of wing relief carving. They also have a head that is rather cheeky and honestly his decoys are likely slightly smaller than life size. His decoys are extremely rare and seldom seen at market due to the fact that he only carved slightly more than 100 during his carrer when compared to other carvers form the region including those of his Uncle Henri. This particular hen goldeneye is a great example of his work complete with diminutive size, heavily detail carved wings, and stout, yet high plump head. All of Hercules decoys, contrary to those of many other Valleyfield carvers, had painted eyes. Due to the fact that many buyers liked a more distinct eye on their decoys many hunters/owners placed thumb tacks over the painted eye just like the one we have for sale here. This is typical of Quebec decoys and it is very common to run across decoys be varied makers with this same exact eye on a wide variety of carver\'s decoys. This decoy is a nice working example and comes complete with the original lead bottom weight still attached to the bottom. FREE shipping to Canada and the lower 48!This decoy is part of a 200 plus Quebec decoy collection that is for sale. Most of the decoys will be posted to over the next six months including decoys from makers Leboeuf, Paquette, Cooper, Turcotte, Leduc, Waltherhouse, Ouimet, Sorel, Hart, Fournier, and many others from the Valleyfield and Montreal schools. They will ALL ship from Ontario, Canada; so the posted shipping price reflects that cost. If you are in Canada, that is great news and shipping could be cheaper so just ask. But, if you are in the United States, please be aware that shipping is more expensive hence the higher than usual shipping cost price on the listings. Most of these decoys are in their original paint and some were waxed many years ago to preserve their finish, a typical Quebec decoy attribute. Please check out all the posted photos for the most accurate description and ask questions accordingly. We always consider offers on our fixed-price listings.

Condition Report

In very typical condition for a working decoy that is nearly 90 years old. It has battle scars and shot scars and like most other Hercule decoys I have seen paint wear to both the head and the body. I have only seen a handful of deocy made by Hercule in what many collectors would consider pristine condition. All of his decoys were used as working birds and given the small numbers of birds he made it has become apparent that none of them were placed on a shelf or stored unused. This is likely due to the fact that he carved very few decoys during his career. As stated above tack eyes have been added to this decoys and upon evaluation the paint I feel like the head has had some touch up while the body looks to be mostly worn original paint with possibly some white overpaint on the bottom of the decoy. Please look at all the photos to get a feel. Given the heavily textured nature of Quebec decoys it sometimes makes it more difficult to distnguish old working repaint from the original surface.

I have done my best to document this decoy through both the text above and the photographs. Please look over all the photos and if you have any questions or request any additional images, please just ask before offerding. I will do my best to accommodate any and all requests. The decoy you are seeing is the exact one you will be getting, therefore, there should be no surprises if you have taken the time to scroll through all the photos and read the text. While I do not generally take returns, I will accept a return if there is something blatant that I missed or failed to disclose. This doesn\'t happen often, in fact it never has to date, as I am generally diligent with my assessment of the decoy and provide detailed photographs, but something could get missed. I am human after all. Unless the decoy is listed in 100% original paint, expect some old hunter touch-up. Almost every single decoy I have for sale was in fact a working decoy part of a larger rig and subject to typical gunning wear including rubs that were typically touched-up between hunting seasons as a way to pass the time during the off-season. Some of these decoys are more than 100 years old and over the course of many hunting seasons it is bound to happen. Overall, I am easy to work with and more than willing to be helpful in any way possible.

Carver\'s Name/History

From Valleyfield, Quebec it isn\'t surprising that decoys carved by Hercule Laviolette (1902-1963) exhibit the excellent Valleyfield School of wing relief and gouge carving. Valleyfield decoys are likely the most sought after school of decoys due to their extravagant features and carving styles and many of Quebec\'s best carvers have originated in that region. Nephew to Henri Laviolette, Hercules certainly learned some of his carving style from the works of his Uncle. While one would believe that he learned from watching his uncle carve decoys, due to the fact his uncle dies in 1923, it is more likely that he learned a little bit from his uncle while he was alive and then used his uncle\'s birds as study after his death. Hercule was a hunter that carved decoys likely out of the love for waterfowl hunting and as necessity. There were very few \"commercial\" carvers in Quebec in the early 20\'s so hunters that needed decoys simply made them themselves. Hercule hunted out of his grandfather\'s hunting camp on the south side of Francis Bay likely with his uncles, father, and other relatives. His decoys and very well-carved and painted and, while they are often confused with the works of Henri, they are easily distinguished in hand due to their small size and Hercule\'s head style. Due to their small size, I find them very pleasing and he is likely my favorite carver from the Valleyfield school. More info on Hercule and his uncle Henri can be seen in the book \"The Rivermen\" by Lefebvre & Seymour and in \"Sculpteurs d\'Appelants du Quebec\" by St.Onge.

Shipping Information

As noted above, these decoys will ship from Ontario, Canada hence the reason for the higher than normal shipping costs when the cost isn\'t shown as FREE. In most cases the price posted won\'t cover the shipping we are charged by Canada Post, but we will eat the additional fees to try and keep the shipping as reasonable as possible.

Each decoy will be carefully packed to ensure no damage occurs in transit, under normal handling practices of course. I strive to ship all items within two business days, but sometimes life gets in the way and it may take an additional day to get the package shipped out to you. I don\'t want the decoy to arrive damaged and neither do you, so if I am short on packaging please understand that the third day, which occurs less than 2% of the time, is most likely due to having to purchase additional peanuts, bubble wrap, or a more adequately sized box. I will also gladly combine shipping typically for less than half of normal postage on the lowest priced shipping charge when two purchases are made, and shipped, at the same time. My shipping charges are as close to actual as I can adequately gauge. I don\'t like to use the shipping calculator as it is often incorrect. Be assured that I am not making money on shipping as supplies like tape, boxes, peanuts, and etc. all quickly add up. In fact, in most cases I am losing $ on shipping, but that is just part of the sellers experience. If you are in Canada, for these particular sales, please contact me for a shipping quote. In most cases I always ship USPS, but in certain scenarios where a package is heavy or being shipped to the west-coast, UPS may be used. All shipping charges are for the lower 48 states only, shipping to Hawaii or Alaska will incur additional charges.

Terms

Most of my decoys are for sale as a high-buyer gets it in a straight-laced no-reserve sale. I say most because as you see some decoys will have a modest/fair-market reserve. I will also from time to time have a few fixed-price listing for items that I feel are better suited for potentially a singular buyer. I am easy to get along with. If a decoy doesn\'t meet reserve, let\'s talk.

*NOTE: As with most sporting collectibles, along with being a great addition to a game room or home decor, vintage decoys have shown to be a sound investment that seldom decrease in value. Each decoy is truly a One-Of-A-Kind item as no two hand-carved decoys are exactly alike and with so few available decoys from each carver, as time passes, they will surely only increase in value

*Be sure to add my to your favorite sellers/searches. I have many more decoys to add from all regions including the Chesapeake Bay, Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, New York, Illinois, the St. Lawrence River, region and the Maritimes in the coming days/weeks from various makers from Ben Schmidt to George Warin to Anger and will always hold shipments to combine shipping.