North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Early October American Indian & Western Sale

Sat, Oct 3, 2020 11:00AM EDT
Lot 186

Eastern Indian Pipe Tomahawk w/ Brass Inlay 19th C

Estimate: $2,750 - $5,250

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Available for purchase in this lot is a wonderful engraved and brass inlaid / overlaid pipe tomahawk from the Eastern Native American Indians of the 19th Century. The piece shows a forged iron / steel head in typical Woodlands Eastern American Indian fashion with slightly upturned curved blade with heavy head construction, tear drop eye with short wide bowl. The blade has been expertly covered in brass which has been hand engraved and shows a weeping heart and tear drop cutout in the brass along with an overlaid brass band with engraving at the pipe bowl. The head shows filed and molded cuts at the blade just below the eye with stepped moldings being inlaid with silver, rounded smooth eyelet with tear drop eye, forge molded chevrons with a beveled slender bowl neck and wide short bowl having a molded ridge at the base and beveled vase like bowl ending in the brass overlay. The head is secured to the haft with a hide gasket and brass band cap. The haft itself is a dark solid wood, either a darker oak or rosewood which has been expertly inlaid with four wide to thin bands of brass being hand engraved and held into place with small nails. On the right shows a weeping heart cutout of the brass overlay on the blade and brass inlay of a weeping heart as well which is held into place with three small nails. The left side shows a similar brass overlay with weeping tear drop cutout having a matching weeping tear drop inlaid in brass into the haft held into place with four small nails. The blade overlay shows a triangular tooth zig-zag pattern just above the steel inset blade. The pipe ends with the smoking tip of a large size constructed of a polished Buffalo horn with a deep black color having a slight curve being inlaid twice with thin brass bands and a third band now no longer present. The tip tapers to a rounded point and has a slight curve as mentioned consistent of being a Buffalo horn. The haft shows a dark coloring which is consistent with its early age and is darker at the gripping area from honest age and use as well. All of the brass has a nice mellow patina from authentic use and the head has a nice grey to dark coloring from honest use as well. The club is very similar to the example documented in Harold L. Peterson’s 1965 book “American Indian Tomahawks” on page 107 figure / photograph 130; this example having the same pattern of head with heavy construction, rear facing curved blade with weeping heart inlay and short bowl being attributed as circa 1800-1825 from the Oglala Sioux at one point owned by Chief Red Cloud. Provenance: From a historic Eastern Montana American Indian Collection where the piece was found to be an authentic original, one of the finest collections of American Indian weaponry and antiquities in Montana. Measures 21 5/8”L with a head that is 8 5/8”L with a 3 1/8”W blade.
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