Set of Three Vintage Painted Wooden Shorebird Sculptures

This group of three hand-carved and hand-painted wooden birds has the appealing character of French folk objects, each bird shaped from very lightweight wood and individually painted in softly aged natural tones. Two are closely related in form, though made in different sizes, while the largest has a more elongated silhouette and a lighter ochre-brown palette, giving the group a pleasing variation. The bigger bird retains small glass eyes, the others are simple black painted dots.

They may originally have been made as hunting decoys before being mounted on simple painted wooden bases for a decorative use. Their slight differences in scale, coloring and posture are what make the group work so well together, giving the impression of objects collected over time. The hand carving, irregular painted surfaces and light wear all contribute to their individual character, while the later bases allow them to be displayed easily.

Grouped on a console, mantel or side table, these shorebird sculptures would feel particularly at home in a relaxed beach house interior. Their weathered painted surfaces and simple folk forms bring texture and character, while the varied heights create an easy, collected composition.