The lot features an exceptional circa 1860 Missouri War Axe tomahawk attributed to the Sauk & Fox Indians of Southern Illinois along the lower Missouri River basin. This piece is truly an excellent representation of “art in the weapon” of American Indian Art featuring a blacksmith hand-forged iron head with large-pierced weeping heart and six-point star cutouts in the blade. The head has filed lines over the eyelet / eye hole, a punch-dot engraved decoration on the blade borders on both sides along with the three cutouts in the blade. The ash wood haft is elaborately decorated with brass tacking, light hot-file brandings and some dark stains. The age of the haft appears early but is likely a later addition. The tomahawk head has a nice, even dark patina with wear from honest age. Early Missouri War Axe Tomahawks are uncommon and highly collectible. For another similar example see the tomahawk in American Indian Tomahawks by Harold L. Peterson 1965 book page 92 figure 51 which is a Missouri War Hatchet with the similar filed lines on the eye, forged moldings, punch dot bordering the blade and a pierced cutout of a weeping heart and two sunburst stars at the same area as our example, attributed to the Osage and noted as similar to an example in the American Museum of Natural History. Provenance: From the ex-collection of Mary Lou and Pierre DuPont of St. Louis, Missouri. Head measures 9 inches long by 5 inches wide across the bottom of the blade. Total length of 21.25 inches.