Wonderfully Primitive Old Carved Root Head Coot Decoy aerial view of city a young inventor from Oberlin

a young inventor from Oberlin

teaching us how to draw faces

and the legs move easily forward and back

but it's a perfect coat

the year 1895

Wonderfully Primitive Old Carved Root Head Coot Decoy aerial view of city a young inventor from OberlinI come across root head decoys now and then (usually priced out of my range!) and never fail to be surprised by their strange beauty; I find in them a perfect balance of awkwardness and grace. And this one is about as primitive as they come. I love the compact, almost round shape of the carved body with arched back and then this long, wide tail, counterpointed by the long stick neck with small pointy head. A couple of fat nails near the front and one