Patriotic Whirligigs

Twentieth century set of five rare and highly unusual one of a kind handmade folk art whirligigs, three with birds, with one example showing a full bodied red headed wood pecker in a rare mechanical example whereby the bird ‘pecks’ at the pole as the fan turns, and two showing highly detailed tails and fans, with most showing a moveable hood at the top of each allowing the gear mechanisms to be oiled and maintained, finely detailed in the most brilliant and extravagant paint schemes, original age cracked surface, excellent condition, contemporary individual wall brackets for each included. 
 
The whirligigs are attributed to Don Shull (1935 – 2022) who was a professional violin maker in Chicago. Later in his life, he moved to Crete, Illinois, the small town southeast of Chicago. It was there over a period of 25 years that he turned his talents to making whirligigs with intricate mechanisms.  Varying  heights from 16” high to 30” high. Item 10001.26