This is an excellent and exceptionally rare Elk Antler quirt with Buffalo & Elk scrimshaw from the Crow Native American Indians of the Northern Plains dating to circa 1860. The piece is comprised of a large Rocky Mountain Elk antler with wood and solid brass trade tack stud held thick harness leather whip front. The entire Elk antler is covered in original Crow incised carved / engravings including geometric bands, kill marks, hour glass or triangular symbols and lastly at the end three early scrimshaw etchings done by hand depicting a two large bull Elk and a Buffalo. The scrimshaw has fine detail and shows the correct early forms being one of the early scrimshawed Crow piece being offered for sale. The end of the antler has a jagged precisely hand cut design. The antler has a heavy weight with deep yellow original patina and remnants of old mineral pigment red ocher coloring. Provenance: From the renowned Sundog Fine Art Bozeman, Montana collection by Bruce VanLandingham. Bruce VanLandingham was a pillar in the American Indian collecting community and a respected expert. Along with being an avid collector, Bruce was also the sole owner of Sundog Fine Art Gallery in Bozeman, which was both part museum and gallery, this piece is directly from the collection. The piece is very similar to the quirt from the Marvin Lince collection sold by Cowan's in 2013 for $20,000 and the quirt published in Native American Horse Gear: A Golden Age of Equine-Inspired Art of the Nineteenth Century and sold by Cowan's in 2021 for $14,000. Measures overall 32.25"L overall. Museum collection number E1049.