Magic Duck ?

[william]

I have a real mystery on my hands. I've done quite a bit of research, to no avail, I give!!!
12" long 8" tall unable to identify the wood ( I'm quite versed in American woods, I'm thinking exotic )
very dense, weighing around 10 lbs. HELP !!!

[frogpatch]

This may sound like a silly question but does it float? The heaviest woods, like iron wood, do not and that would rule it out from being some exotic decoy. I tried to find a duck somewhere in the world that looks like that but no luck. I did find some unbelievably beautiful ducks though.

[mart]

That description sound like Bois d`Arc or as some call it Osage Orange, or Horse Apple !! But don`t see how he could have carved that unless he did it green !!  The dryer it gets the tougher it gets !!  Color can range from yellow to red brown or anywhere in between !!

[KC]

I cannot stand those doggone horse apples.  Neighbor has a couple of Bodark trees that overhang the road and those suckers just make a huge mess!!!  People can't eat the fruit but the squirrels LOVE them! 

Enough groaning.  Mart, it is an excellent wood to carve with.  Was also known as Bow Wood.  Indians in these parts used it to make bows, clubs, and carvings!  Even was used for ship masts because it can bend.  There are lots of the trees around here where I live because there was an Indian Trading post at the creek that flows near my home and they utilized them !

But as to the wood we are looking at on this post.  Not sure!

[william]

It's a tough one. I looked everywhere a could think of, but still looking.
One day perhaps, thanks to everyone for your input : )

[cogar]

If a stain was applied to the bottom it could confuse the identity of the wood.

Some more trivia to consider .....

Beech is quite heavy and has a "tight" grain. Beech was my favorite wood for burning in the cookstove. Less messy in handling, burned hot n' long and less "smoky" than most other firewood types.

And hardwoods growing in the northern states (latitudes) usually have "tighter" grain than the same species growing in more southern states.

Or trees that are growing in mountainous regions, .... near the bottom of ... and on the "north" face of a really steep ravine .... which severly limits their access to water and direct Sunlight.

[mart]

KC, I had to paint a sign for a shop once on a Bodark log , yes we are spelling it like it sounds !!  It was just a slice with bark on one side !! It was dry and had been cut about a year prior !! I couldn`t even sand it !!  Wore out a lot of sandpaper with that one !!  I hit one once with a hand axe and it bounced off !! That's why I said it must have been green !!  There is a lot of it here too and was commonly used for fence posts because it was not unusual for fence posts to last 50 years or more !! It doesn`t rot and just try to put a fence staple or a nail into one !! Yes I know that it is bow wood !!  We have a few here in the pasture !!  One thing you can do with the horse apples is to cut them into chunks and put them around the foundation of your house for a bug preventative !!  Crafters use them too !!

[frogpatch]

I do not think that is a US carved piece. There is no duck in North America that even remotely resembles that. What makes everyone think it is an American work? I would guess it was bought overseas and brought here by a traveler.

[mart]

Ooops KC, I was looking at Cogar`s post and typed his name ,, Intended to put yours in !! Guess I had better change it !!
I have never tried green Bodark !!  They do make a lot of belt buckles out of it !!

[mart]

I do not think that is a US carved piece. There is no duck in North America that even remotely resembles that. What makes everyone think it is an American work? I would guess it was bought overseas and brought here by a traveler.

Frogpatch, I think its a folk art piece,,not necessarily any particular type of duck !! 

[frogpatch]

Maybe folk art but I do not think American folk.

[KC]

So, does it float?

[cogar]

Maybe its a ......



Pelican, American White

[william]

Pelican, perhaps, I was leaning towards something a little more exotic, New Zealand
Australia. I haven't seen any American folk art similar in style, colors are unusual also.
I suppose it will remain a mystery, but that's okay, it was a great find. I love it!!