Masters Edition Mallard Big Sky Carvers John Gewerth

This finely carved wooden mallard decoy is a Masters' Edition by John Gewerth, commissioned by Big Sky Carvers in Manhattan, Montana. The Masters' Editions were produced by selected carvers starting around 1980 and continued into the 1990's.

Gewerth carved this duck from solid sugar pine, hand painted it and inset the amber glass eyes. The decoy is large and has an impressive amount of detail. On its shapely head, which is turned to its right and preparing to preen, the beak is painted the perfect shade of yellow with a black nail on the tip and the nares (nostrils) carefully carved out and shaded. The raised, fully carved back feathers are rather spectacular, while the side feathers are stained to reveal the wood grain. The tail feathers are very realistically painted and include the carved black curled feather known as a "drake curl" that signifies mating season.

On the underside of the decoy is an inset brass medallion with this information embossed on it:
"MASTERS' EDITION WOODCARVING MANHATTAN MT" The Big Sky Carvers symbol is centered over the edition number 346/1250, a nice low number, and "USA." John Gewerth's signature is burned into the wood below the medallion.

The decoy measures 15 inches long; if the head were turned forward, it would be 20 1/4 inches in length. It is 8 1/4 inches tall to the top of its head and 6 1/2 inches across the breast. It weighs a hefty 3 1/4 pounds; the weight and measurements denote a full-size mallard drake. It is in exceptional, super clean condition, appearing to have not been handled or perhaps stored away since John Gewerth created it.

Some History:
After John Gewerth, an avid waterfowl hunter, saw his first decorative decoy in the 1970's, he started a collection and then began carving them himself. In 1981, he was awarded “Best of Show” Floating Decorative Decoy at the World Championship. He then began competing in the Decorative Floating Pairs category and has finished in the top three at least four times. He began carving for Big Sky Carvers in 1983 and was subsequently invited to be a Masters' Editions carver.

BIG SKY CARVERS was founded in 1980 in Bozeman, Montana, as a small woodworking shop. In 1985, they moved their operations to Manhattan, Montana.

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