Perch Decoy

Abraham Goulette, Perch Decoy, ca. 1920s, carved and painted wood, painted tinned iron sheet, non-ferrous eye hook, painted ferrous tack eyes, and lead weight, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alastair B. Martin, 1999.67.18
Abraham Goulette, Perch Decoy, ca. 1920s, carved and painted wood, painted tinned iron sheet, non-ferrous eye hook, painted ferrous tack eyes, and lead weight, 3 1⁄8 x 8 5⁄8 x 3 1⁄4 in. (7.8 x 22.0 x 8.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alastair B. Martin, 1999.67.18

Artwork Details

Title
Perch Decoy
Artist
Date
ca. 1920s
Location
Dimensions
3 1⁄8 x 8 5⁄8 x 3 1⁄4 in. (7.8 x 22.0 x 8.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Alastair B. Martin
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and painted wood, painted tinned iron sheet, non-ferrous eye hook, painted ferrous tack eyes, and lead weight
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — fish
Object Number
1999.67.18
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.67.18

Artwork Description

Carved fish decoys are one of the earliest forms of American folk art. Hunters around the Bering Sea first used small bone or ivory decoys for ice fishing around 1000 AD. They believed that the decoys embodied the innua, or inner spirit of the fish. The practice spread to upstate New York and the Great Lakes, where it became a tourist industry with many communities growing around prime fishing areas. Ice fishing was banned in 1905, however, because the popularity of the sport had brought about a serious decline in large game fish. During the Depression, many hunters and fishermen turned again to fish spearing for survival. The decoys from this period are simpler, focusing on realistic shapes, colors, and movement rather than fanciful decoration (Steven Michaan, American Fish Decoys, 2003).

Works by this artist (8 items)

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Helen Levitt, New York, ca. 1942, printed later, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1984.16.4, © 1981, Helen Levitt
New York
Artist
Dateca. 1942, printed later
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Helen Levitt, Girl with Dagger, ca. 1942, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Library of Congress, Miss Claire Lusby, Neshan G. Shamigian, the National Museum of History and Technology, and George D. Widener and Eleanor Widener Dixon, 1990.57, © 1981, Helen Levitt
Girl with Dagger
Artist
Dateca. 1942
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Helen Levitt, New York, 1976, 1976, ektaflex print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1983.49, © 1976, Helen Levitt
New York, 1976
Artist
Date1976
ektaflex print
Not on view
Helen Levitt, New York, ca. 1942, printed later, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William H. Levitt, 1983.74, © 1981, Helen Levitt
New York
Artist
Dateca. 1942, printed later
gelatin silver print
Not on view

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Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.9
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gelatin silver print
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Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.7
Untitled
Artist
Dateca. 1945-1950
gelatin silver print
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Jared French, Margaret French, PaJaMa, Paul Cadmus, PaJaMa (Box A), ca. 1937, gelatin silver prints, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Margaret French, 1999.98.5.16
PaJaMa (Box A)
Artist
Dateca. 1937
gelatin silver prints
Not on view