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Great Lakes Spontoon Pipe Tomahawk c. 1860-1870

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
Great Lakes Spontoon Pipe Tomahawk c. 1860-1870
This is a rare and authentic Great Lakes Native American Indian Spontoon Pipe Tomahawk dating to the circa 1860-1870’s. The forged spontoon head is known as a “Minnewauken” style, with kite-shaped blade with no basal processes or curls and is atop a nice solid wood haft handle showing extensive hot file branding artistically applied along its entire length and a slight curve with minor wear including splits, nicks and digs from authentic age and use. The head was forged from a rifle barrel and the rifling is still visible inside the elongated pipe bowl, a wonderful addition. Some of the earliest pipe tomahawks traded with Indian tribes on the Frontier and Old West were forged by blacksmiths from used gun barrels. The eyelet hole which is in a typical diamond like shape shows a set of forged chevrons, filed mouldings and a nice tall pipe bowl. Both sides of the spontoon like blade have a slight raised median ridge running down the center, a documented early, authentic tomahawk feature also found on early Dag knives. The haft is also artfully adorned with brass trad tacks at the top of the haft along with down the sides in a horse track or hoof design on one side and a zig-zag on the other (representing lighting). The clean out plug is missing. Doug Diehl of the American Indian Art Department at Skinner Galleries has stated on “Antiques Roadshow”, a PBS show, that the horse track designs indicate ownership by a warrior. Other tomahawk scholars and experts have also documented this motif on warrior-owned weapons. At the gripping area of the tomahawk there is a pierced hole which holds an old braided rawhide wrist throng. A nearly identical example with no brass tacks or a drop decoration is shown in Harold Peterson’s 1965 book, “American Indian Tomahawks” figure 271, (a picture of the page is digitally included for comparison). The tomahawk is truly a rare authentic example showing good well-preserved condition. The examples measures 26 ½ inches long overall and has a 9 ½ inch long spontoon blade.