The lot features a wonderful rare and unique Central Plains Missouri War Axe tomahawk that features brass inlaid weeping heart in the center and two smaller brass inlaid starburst overall dating to circa 1850. The tomahawk shows a large flaring triangular-shaped blade that features a weeping heart and starburst cutout that has been inlaid with brass and further accented by a punch-dot engraved decoration around heart and outside edges of the head and by the eyelet connection on the blade. The forged iron head shows a four-line incised eyelet hole which is secured to the hardwood haft handle with wood wedges and brass trade tacks. The haft is adorned with brass trade tacks and exhibits expected wear from much age. The bottom of the haft handle shows a pierced hole holding a drop tied on with two partridge feathers, four old hawk trade bells and six human teeth. Missouri War Axe tomahawks have been documented with such human bone and teeth adornments and almost exclusively attributed to tribes in the Central Plains region. The term "Missouri War Axe" was coined by American Indian weapons collectors to describe this 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. Only a small handful of tribes were known to have used this style of tomahawk and in only one specific region. They were made in small numbers, making early surviving examples such as this extremely rare and historically important. Provenance: From the ex-collection of Cyrus Eaton London, England. This example shows three imitation feathers tied on which are replacements for the three original hawk feathers that were removed to comply with Federal Bird of Prey Feather laws. The tomahawk shows a head that is 9 ¼ inch long by 5 ¼ inch wide across the bottom of the blade along with being 22 inches in length overall.