Available for sale is one of the finest “Missouri War Axe” war clubs from circa 1780-1800. The tomahawk is from the Mandan Native American Indian tribe along the upper Missouri River. This piece is the only known surviving example in any private or museum collection with the haft protrusion, making it one of the rarest American Indian tomahawks and historically important. The hand forged iron head measures 8.5 inches in length with a wide triangular-shaped, thin blade featuring five pierced holes and filed lines along the top of the eye hole. The head is secured to the old wood haft with a thick wrap of hardened hide and old square head iron nails. The haft protrusion at the top has a small pierced hole that likely held a drop of feathers or trade beads at one time. The earliest style of this tomahawk would show a plain blade or with small perforated holes such as this. The Osage County Historical Society Museum in Oklahoma shows a circa 1780-1800 example made by noted St. Louis blacksmith Henri Papin, corroborates the simple pierced hole observation on the earliest pieces. Explorer Karl Bodmer documented early examples of this style of war club in his paintings published in the McKinney & Hall books showing the small protrusion carved in high relief off the top of the haft holding a small drop of feathers and beads. A photo of Bodmer’s 1834 painting of Minnetare Chief Addih-Hiddish holding his Missouri War Axe with haft protrusion is shown to illustrate this rare feature. The term "Missouri War Axe" was coined by American Indian weapons collectors to describe this particular style of tomahawk. They were first discovered by Lewis & Clark on their 1804-1805 expedition financed by Thomas Jefferson, which sent them exploring up the upper Missouri River basin. Meriwether Lewis wrote about these weapons and sketched one in his journal, stating that the local Indians were fervently requesting the expedition blacksmith to make additional examples for them. He went as far as to state that it was the only item the Indians were willing to trade corn, grain and other expedition necessities for and that manufacture and trade of additional axes is what solely got the explorers through the winter of 1805. The protrusion is cut down in high-relief from the haft itself and is not a separate piece, but one solid haft. The old hardwood haft has some splits and drying due to age and use. This piece is pictured in the following publications/books “The Mark Francis Collection of American Indian Art (2009)”, “Rare American Indian Weapons”, “The Missouri War Axe: War Tomahawks of the Plains and Prairies (2010)” by Mark Francis, and “Plains Art: A Study of Artifacts of the Central Plains” by F.C. Crissman. Ex-collections of Fred Crissman/Mark Francis. References: "American Indian Tomahawks" (1965) by Harold Peterson "The Missouri War Axe: War Tomahawk of the Plains and Prairies (2010) by Mark Francis "The Mark Francis Collection of American Indian Art" (2009) by Mark Francis "Indian Tomahawks and Frontiersmen Belt Axes" (1995) by Daniel Hartzler & James Knowles "Tomahawks & Pipe Axes of the American Frontier" (1995) by John Baldwin "Indian War Clubs of the American Frontier" (2001) by John Baldwin "Tomahawk: A Bulletin of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum" Janaury 1946 by Arthur Woodward "Native American Weapons" (2001) by Colin Taylor For a complete representation of condition and for additional images please call 800-686-4216. It is the buyer’s responsibility to view each image and preview the item to determine condition.