The decoy is roughly 60 years old, and not one of his Shelf Models he began to put out after plastic killed his wood decoy making business---It absolutely was rigged for the water, but doesn't show signs of water use. I collect his pre-60's/pre-Shelfy "working decoys", but have a real soft spot for his pre-48's.
Around 1948 he changed his rigging, going to a cross-grain line ring, and a 4-nail ballast weight, rather than his previous 2-nail weight...which makes dating his work a bit easier.
Although, I have run into some 1940 models that had 4-nail ballast weights, which most likely were made by request for discerning, and picky buyers---but those are few and far between.
Mitchell was to working wood decoys what Henry Ford was to automobile production, and he set the standard in body styles for years to come--- in fact, at times it takes an exceptionally good eye to identify his work as opposed to Copy Cats of the last few decades, as most carver's now (like The Jobes Clan) produce a stone Mitchell Style decoy.
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