Miniature Carved and Painted Wood Mallard Drake Decoy

This item is a decorative wood carving of a male mallard duck (drake), likely produced in Japan for the export market during the mid-to-late 20th century. The piece is constructed from a lightweight wood with a smooth, matte-painted finish. Physically, it features a distinct green head with a yellow bill, a white neck ring, and a brownish-chestnut breast. The body showcases hand-painted or stencil-assisted feather detailing in shades of grey, tan, and brown, topped with a dark wing patch featuring a blue speculum highlight. The tail is ivory-white, consistent with mallard plumage. The carving exhibits a simplified, folk-art style with soft contours and lacks realistic glass eyes, instead utilizing painted black dots for eyes. The condition appears fair to good; there is visible paint wear on the tip of the bill and subtle scuffing along the lower edges of the body, typical for a vintage decorative object. While no maker's marks are visible on the top surface, such items from Japan typically bore a gold or silver foil sticker on the flat base indicating 'Made in Japan.' The craftsmanship is uniform and commercial in nature, suggesting it was part of a series intended for shelf display or as a collector's knick-knack rather than a functional hunting decoy.