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Title:	Coliseum Museum Permanent Wood Carving Collection
Date:	11/8/2024 - 1/31/2025
Address:	Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana, 124 N 4th Street, Oregon, IL
Location:	Oregon, IL
Hours:	10:00am - 5:00pm, Wednesday-Saturday
Cost/Cover:	Free
Web Page:	http://www.cmaaa.org
Contact Info:	For additional information contact Kate at 815-595-5810

Details:

Wood Carving Collection at the Coliseum Museum. Carved Fish, Ducks & Various Species of Birds Circa 1930 - Present.

Waterfowl decoys have a long and interesting history dating back to ancient civilizations. These hand-carved or molded replicas of ducks and geese were used by hunters to attract and lure in their prey. The earliest known use of waterfowl decoys was by the ancient Egyptians, who used clay decoys as far back as 2500 BC. The art of decoy carving dates back in America to the 1700’s making it a true American folk art.

Hand carved decoys are still used today to entice ducks, geese, and waterfowl. Decoy carving has evolved not only to aid duck hunters, but also to becoming a true folk art including all species of fish, birds, and wildlife forms.

The carvings on display were created by the artisans for display and not to be used as functional hunting decoys. The dates range from 1930 to the present. Many of the artisans represented are nationally known and include: Rude, Lis, DeSelms, Keebler (Oregon, IL), Wiguham, Bosman, Allen, Penna, Destree, Schemerhorn (Rochelle, IL), Tapley, Brown, Sams, Crowell, Henrich, H.G., Lapham, Winters, Ward, Edwards, McChesney, White, Hageman, Downs, M. Lashbrook, LR, Sarif, Furia, W. Lashbrook, Ward, Moore (DeKalb, IL), Hulin, Burns, Tabor, Slack, Patience, Sharon, Schmidt (Oregon, IL) and Hancock.

This is a sample of what you will see when you visit the Coliseum Museum in downtown Oregon, IL. At present there are nearly sixteen hundred individual pieces on display including ceramics, glass, arts & craft, carved wood, Native American artifacts, and of course pottery among other unique items.