Ade Mersfelder (Maine, 1919-2014), mid 20th century, carved and painted wood with glass eyes, ink signed to underside "Ade Mersfelder / Monhegan Is. /Maine," according to the tag accompanying the lot, this was carved from a telegraph pole that had washed ashore on Monhegan Island, Maine.

14 x 23 1/2 x 11 1/4 in.

Ade Mersfelder was rasied in New Jersey. As a teen he was drafted into the US Army and captured as a POW. During a prisoner transport, he and some other prisoners ran and managed to escape their captors.

Upon settling in Maine after the war, he met and married Betty Shank, and the couple would spend their lives together between Thomaston and Monhegan Island. He and Betty operated a gift shop on Monhegan for many years until 1984. Ade's artistic efforts included carved decoys, Audubon inspired bird paintings, and replicas of lobster buoys.

Some scattered shrinkage cracks; stains and rubbing to painted surfaces.