Ottawa - Duck decoys are now the number one must-have collectible among the weekend antique hunters who travel the backroads of major cities searching for the duck that escaped everyone else's attention. Amazing how far these flightless birds have come - all the way from cold, mist-covered marshes to pride of place on the family living room mantel. On August 3, Canada Post will issue a set of four domestic rate (51ยข) stamps, recognizing this unique expression of Canadian art.
References to using decoys to ensure the success of the hunt can be found in the histories of the ancient world and Europe from the Renaissance onward. Native hunters throughout North America used decoys as far back as 1,000 years ago to lure dinner within shooting range. Historians agree that the North American wildfowl decoy was inspired by native hunting practices and refined through European woodworking skills.
During the past century, duck decoys evolved from a working tool of the hunt to folk art sculptures prized by collectors. Today, they provide a way of better understanding of the working, recreational and creative lives of earlier generations of Canadians. Due to fairly isolated environments, the techniques of individual carvers would lay the groundwork for regional traditions.
The decoys most prized by collectors are those created in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. American collectors made up the bulk of the market, but they had strong interest in Canadian carvers and for that reason, many of Canada's finest decoys are now part of private collections in the U.S. By the 1950s, Canadian collectors were growing in number, and viewed decoys as valuable artifacts of the nation's folk culture and history.
The decoys chosen for this stamp are authentic working decoys, many showing the scars of their labours and their years, and all are from the collection of the Canadian Museum of Nature. They are:
Red Breasted Merganser, carved by Clovis Landry, representing the Maritimes
Barrow's Golden Eye, carved by Gilles Camirand, representing Quebec
Black Duck, carved by David Nichols, representing Ontario
Mallard, by an unknown carver, representing the Prairie region
This beautiful stamp foursome was designed by Dennis Page and Oliver Hill of Trampoline Design in Halifax; the photos are by Ted Coldwell. "The main thrust of the design," Page explains, "was the juxtaposition of the photograph of the authentic decoy with the original background painting."
The two media are aligned to give the visual impression that the decoy is attracting the flying ducks represented in the painting, he says. The style of the painting was inspired by a commercial style found in 1930s era hunting gear catalogues, as well as research of paintings of ducks and geese throughout Canada, particularly those of Allan Brooks, a wildlife artist of national historical significance. The backgrounds in the stamp were painted by Pierre Leduc. The wooden surface that frames the pane is a photograph of a very old carving bench that has been nicked and scarred over the years from work. It also provides a 3-D effect to frame the stamps.
The four-stamp issue comprises two vertical se-tenant pairs, the first measures 38 mm x 48 mm, the second, 130 mm x 145 mm. Canadian Bank Note printed 4,500,000 stamps which will be available in panes of 16. The stamps were printed using lithography in nine colours and P.V.A. gum on Tullis Russell Coatings paper and are general tagged on all four sides. The Official First Day Cover will read: SMITH FALLS, ON.
Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the Newsroom section of Canada Post's website, and a downloadable high-resolution photo of the Duck Decoy commemorative stamps is in the Newsroom's Photo Centre. Stamps and Official First Day covers will be available at participating post offices, and can be ordered online by following the links at Canada Post's website www.canadapost.ca, or by mail-order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA call toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 and from other countries call: (902) 863-6550.
