The lot features a wonderful authentic circa 1880 Sioux Native American Indian spontoon pipe tomahawk with beautiful, beaded Buffalo hide drop. This is a well-documented pattern of tomahawk known amongst the Sioux in the Dakotas during the 19th Century showing a prominent spontoon head with upward basal curled processes and blade cut outs. The forged axe features a spontoon double edge head with medial ridge running down both sides of the blade with a weeping heart cutout at the center. Above the blade the head tapers into an hourglass like neck with long rectangular cutout at the center ending in the upward turned basal processes. The eyelet hole shows prominent rounded forged moldings with a tall thin vase like pipe bowl which has chevron moldings and additional ridge moldings. The head is secured onto the haft with a leather gasket at the tear drop eyelet hole along with various old brass trade tacks and the clean out plug hole is visible with the plug long missing. The pipe bowl is tall with artful file work in a vase pattern, an early tomahawk attribute amongst authentic early examples such as this. The raised median running down the center of the blade on both sides is also a well-documented early authentic weapons feature on period-correct tomahawk examples such as this according to experts Baldwin, Francis, Peterson, etc… The wood haft is comprised of hardwood with old faded hot file brandings and old brass trade tack patterns with an incised gripping area and pierced hold holding the beaded drop. The beaded drop is constructed of Indian tanned Buffalo Bison hide with old blue stroud clothe backing, frilly buckskin Indian hide fringe and period correct glass trade seed geometric beadwork. The beadwork shows a light sky padre blue background with pattern in chalk white, cobalt and red. The drop is tied onto the tomahawk with old hide lacing. Provenance: Original collected by artifact dealer Jim Aplan of Piedmont, South Dakota directly off the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and later sold to collector Tom Hardy of Indianapolis, Indiana in the late 1990’s. The entire tomahawk has a nice mellow patina and is truly an attractive, artful example in well preserved condition. Measures overall 22”L with an additional 24.5”L beaded drop and head that is 12.25”L.