Oscar Peterson, Cadillac, Michigan Folk Art, Spear Fishing Working Decoy, Hand Carved Northern Pike

Item Details

This is the second Oscar Peterson fish decoy we are offering in this show, a northern pike.  If you missed reading about the Peterson perch we listed in this show, we are repeating some history here.

"Fishing by cutting holes in the ice and using decoys to bring fish within spearing distance was totally unknown to the rest of the world, and was adopted by Americans in the Upper Midwest who learned the technique from indigenous fishermen in the early 19th Century.  European and colonial travelers learned of the use of decoys as tools for fishing through the ice and there are many stories of early encounters." (Source: http://fishdecoy.com/history.html for more detailed information of these encounters, going back to 1762.)

Such decoys are truly one of the earliest forms of American folk art.  We are fortunate to have obtained this northern pike spear fishing decoy made by renowned carver Oscar Peterson (1887-1951) from a long-time collector here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  Such lures are so intriguing - to think they were created to actually attract fish to feed one's family during the harsh, long winters here.  This is something to remember when we look at these works of art sitting so regally on display in our homes today!

This working decoy was made solely for utilitarian purposes sometime around the 1920s.  Peterson made them in his Cadillac, Michigan home and sold them to local bait shops as well as to sportsmen and tourists who stopped at his home along the road.  Having the original painted and varnished surface, the decoy shows minimal expected paint loss without any touch ups or repairs. (Peterson applied the varnish to protect the paint while the decoy was in the water.) The red gills and mouth are relief carved, the eyes are domed tacks, and the fins are painted metal.  This fella even has yellow eyebrows!  Within the underside there are two lead-weighted chambers.  This is a great representation of a northern pike having realistic light-colored spots on a blended dark background.  Note the tail is carved off to one side to make it look more realistic than if it were left straight with the rest of the bodyl  Note also the 1/2" x 1/4" loss on the underside of the tail.  There is a small gouge on one side off the body that conveniently looks like one of the light-colored spots, so it blends right in.  We have provided many photos for your review.

Measures 7" long x 1-3/8" left fin to right fin x 7/8" high not including metal hanger.

Please be certain to see our other Oscar Peterson spear fishing decoy of a Perch.

For more info see:

• "Beneath the Ice: The Art of the Spearfishing Decoy", which opened at the Museum of American Folk Art in New York and toured eight other museums during its two year run.
• "Michigan's Master Carver, Oscar W. Peterson, by Ronald J. Fritz.