This is a magnificent pipe tomahawk with silver eight-point star, five-point star and moon inlays and overlays in fine presentation form from the 18th Century Great Lakes American Indians. The piece starts with the forged iron expertly crafted head shows a typical mid-1700’s pattern blade with slightly rear up turned curved blade, oval eye with heavy construction, heavy forge molded and filed steps above and below the eye leading to the finely beveled tapering neck holding the heavy molded ring, sharp edge beveled bowl with vase shape being further accented by a zig-zag engraving and fine inlaid line of silver. The blade also shows heavy filed cuts at the front of both sides with a bevel running down the entire front face of the blade edge and is further adorned with a punch dot engraving framing the outer edge of both sides along with a single arrow pointing towards the rear of the rear curving blade. On the left side of the blade is an exceptional overlaid silver and gold half crescent moon having a slightly raised dimensional finish. The eyelet frame shows two stylized five-point stars overlaid in fine silver with a gold. The head is secured to the haft, presumably with a head gasket on a tapered oval end protruding from the front of the club, an old tomahawk trait, which is covered in a fine silver cap being finely engraved six-point stars in a double row on the outside and singled row on the front with a six-point star at the center. The solid wood haft has a dark coloring and is inlaid with a wide band of fine silver just behind the eye showing two rows of eight-point stars as outer borders with a single larger row of six-point stars down the center running the entire surface of the silver. The piece is also inlaid with a unique eight-point star in large form on each side of the haft (two in total) with the points running parrelell to the haft being longest, held into place with four each tiny nails and further decorated with a burst engraving. Behind the star burst is a single medium to thin band with single row of eight-point stars. The haft overall shows an oval polished finish which gradually tapers straight towards the smoking tip. Just in front of the smoking tip shows a thick band of fine silver inlaid showing the same double band of eight-point engraved stars and single larger row of six-point engraved stars. The smoking tip is one of the finest seen on any presentation pipe being constructed of Buffalo or Steer horn polished and expertly carved with rolling front edge inlaid with three thin bands of fine silver gradually tapering to the flaring lip rest being sharply raised and finishing in the round tapered end. This is truly one of the finest presentation pipe tomahawks with excellent circa 1700’s age we have offered for sale and the finest currently offered in the public market showing fine honest patina, incredible silver work, heavy forged head and rare form. The piece is very similar to a piece documented in Harold L. Peterson’s 1965 book “American Indian Tomahawks” on page 102 figure photograph 109 with the very same eight-point silver star (a very scarcely seen attribute) along with incredibly similar pipe head pattern being attributed to the mid-18th Century from the William O. Sweet Collection. Also similar to the example shown on page 105 figure / photograph 122 of the same book; this example having the same head pattern with silver crescent moon on the blade and inlaid silver straight tapering haft with protruding end cap being attributed to the 18th Century Iroquois Indians. Very few examples of Great Lakes 18th Century pipe tomahawks bearing the multi-point silver star have been documented with the Peterson example the piece listed in this sale and the fantastic Great Lakes Pipe Tomahawk sold at Cowan’s September 2013 sale for $95,325 with premiums from the Marvin L. Lince, Oregon and ex-Arnold Chernoff collections. 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 20 5/8”L with a head that is 7 7/8”L with a blade that is 2.5”W.