Keith Mueller - Summer Pelagic Personal Study Rig

Updated September 3, 2026

Lot number	203
Estimate	1,500.00 - 2,500.00 USD
Auction	Fall Feature Decoy & Sporting Art Auction 2026
Date	September 26, 2026 at 10:52 PM EDT
Auction house	American Sporting Auctions
Location	Syracuse, New York

Keith Mueller (b. 1956) Killingworth, CT 11.75" long Hollow-carved ornithological study of a Little Gull, personally used by Keith Mueller off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and signed by the maker on the underside. An ardent ornithologist as well as an accomplished carver, Mueller occasionally produced small rigs of less commonly encountered species, or species he held a curiosity with, to bring birds within photographic range, allowing him to live study and document their behavior in the field. In Mueller’s own notes accompanying this carving, he states that this exact decoy “was used extensively off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts” as part of an “ornithological rig.” It's common name is Little Gull, and is painted in breeding plumage. A photograph included with this lot shows Mueller using this exact decoy in the field. The bird is signed around the underside of the decoy and has the makers brand in the middle bottom. Mueller is a self-taught carver and painter who began carving professionally in the mid-1970s. Originally trained as an engineer and draftsman, Mueller developed his carving through extensive study of birds and their environments, including field research and photography on scientific expeditions. He has been named World Champion seven times, won more than 250 Best in Show awards, and has been honored as a Living Legend by the Ward Foundation. Mueller is particularly recognized for his decorative bird carvings, often incorporating elaborate feather carving, habitat, and sculptural presentation. His decorative work has included life-size and miniature birds as well as elaborate multi-bird compositions, with examples exhibited at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, and the Governors Mansions of Connecticut and Rhode Island.Condition: Near mint with minor wear from useProvenance: Keith Mueller Collection

Keith Mueller - Summer Pelagic Personal Study Rig

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