Red-breasted Merganser Decoy

Brothers Roger and Nathaniel S. Williams of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, are two of the earliest know waterfowl decoy carvers in the U.S. Around 1845 Nathaniel carved the body of this Merganser Drake decoy from a single block of cedar and a two-piece carved head. The stylized painted wings are typical of his work, with the underside of the decoy carved with his initials NSW.