Most expensive duck decoys

The two most expensive duck decoys sold in a private deal for $1.13 million (£504,188) each and were carved by A Elmer Crowell (USA, 1862–1952). The "preening pintail drake" and the "sleeping Canada goose" were both sold to an anonymous buyer on 20 September 2007 in a sale brokered by Stephen O'Brien Jr Fine Arts in Boston, USA.

Duck decoys had been used to attract real ducks for hunting until the early 20th century and are now valued as examples of folk art. Crowell's work was famed for its close attention to detail. The heads of the drake and the Canada goose don't look straight ahead and this more unusual positioning made the decoys more desirable. The drake was made around 1915 and the goose around 1917. Both were worked from wood and carefully painted to look as realistic as possible.