The lot features a unique multi-cutout gunstock war club blade from the 19th Century. The piece features a forged iron blade with double edge, large size, deep double cut side notches with unique scalloped back edge, round punch circle cutout at the center, and three lance blade-like triangle “Christmas Tree” cutouts, along with a flat wide squared off shank with two pierced holes. This type of large gunstock war club blades, with elaborate cut outs and shapes and deep side notches, have been documented as early examples by McKinney & Hall, Bird King, et al. A nearly identical blade is documented and pictured in John Baldwin’s 2001 book, “Indian War Clubs of the American Frontier”, on page 25 figure 070; it is referred to as a circa 1800, Wisconsin collected gun stock war club blade forged by the artist and being one of the fanciest examples he had viewed. It is also in the figure of the example in McKinney and Hall. A photograph of the page is shown for examples sake. The Baldwin book also goes into further explanation, stating that several of these side notch, elaborate cutout examples illustrated in “McKinney Hall – Portrait Gallery of American Chiefs’”, including Oto Chief Choncape or Big Kansas (dated 1821), Iowa Chief Mahaska or White Cloud (dated 1824), Iowa Chief Moanahonga or Great Walker, Chippewa Chief Waatopenot (dated 1826), and Sault Chief Appangose (dated 1837). Baldwin goes on to say that early forged blades were flat and made exclusively for gun stock war clubs, with fancier examples not being seen after 1850, further stating that most post-1850 blades were DAG shape with a center ridge. Provenance: From a large private Virginia collection of Antique Frontier Weapons. Measures overall 13 ¼ inch in length by 3 inches wide.