Ocracoke, North Carolina, circa 1920s, carved and painted wood.

Length 24 in

Former Collection of Kroghie Andresen.
Former Collection of Julian Hamilton, Jr.
Former Collection of Julian Hamilton, Sr.

Jones Williams lost his father at the age of 14 and had to go to sea to support his mother and three sisters. He learned the art of carpentry during these years, which led to a career of boat building and decoy carving. Jones was the chief warrant officer in the Coast Guard station on Portsmouth Island in the mid 1920s through the 1930s. During this time, he carved brant and goose decoys for his personal hunting rig. This exceptional large goose was possibly carved from the spar of a shipwrecked sailing vessel.

Original paint, mulltiple age checks in the body, hit by shot.