Red Mouse (or Bat?), Fabulous Old Folk Art Ice Fishing Lure red bird holding together pretty well now

holding together pretty well now and not fragile

but what a couple of beautifully rendered

Perfect for the friend who puts butter on everything

as I can find no earlier reference to it

but I've looked at enough of these to believe it is mid 1800s

Red Mouse (or Bat?), Fabulous Old Folk Art Ice Fishing Lure red bird holding together pretty well nowJust about my favorite old ice fishing decoy I've ever seen, and much better in hand, with quite an amazing patina in every regard; this one has lived quite a life. Meant to represent a mouse I presume, with a long twisted wire tail, but with those tin wings it could very well be taken for a flying red bat! With red painted tin ears too, and nails for eyes, with one old nail in front of one ear and two in front of the other (my favorite detail). Iron