This is considered to be one of the best American Indian Tomahawks to come onto the open market in some time. This is a circa 1850-1860 Missouri War Axe Tomahawk attributed to the Osage Native American Indians of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The piece was made at the Dunlop & Florer Trading Post on the Osage Reservation. These pieces were traded and sold to local Pawnee and Osage Indians in the region. Numerous 19th Century photographs of Indians from both tribes have shown braces holding these Missouri War Axes from the Dunlop & Florer trading post. This example was collected from an Osage Chief’s family by the name of Little White Hair. This well-documented and published piece is pictured in the 2009 book, “The Mark Francis Collection of American Indian Art" on page 121 figure 192; on the cover of the 2010 book "The Missouri War Axe: Tomahawk of the Plains and Prairies" and on page 46 figure 53; and in the 1995 book " Indian Tomahawks and Frontiersmen Belt Axes" by James Hartzler & Daniel Knowles on page 107 figure 6. The tomahawk war club features a thin blacksmith forged iron head that is 7.75”L by 4.5” wide with a weeping heart cutout in the center of the blade. The hardwood haft is covered in old stripped red and white calico trade clothe with a few brass trade tacks at the bottom end and at the top of the head. There is an old braided wasp of human hair tied onto the haft. The tomahawk was one of two that were in the collection of the Museum of the Fur Trade bought from Arthur Lam at the Dunlop and Florer Trading Post in 1930 at the Osage reservation in Oklahoma. It was acquired many years later by noted collector Jim Dresslar who then later sold the piece to collector and author Mark Francis in the late 1990’s. While Dresslar owned the piece it was pictured in the 1995 Hartzler & Knowles tomahawk book. Dr. Hanson at the Museum of Fur Trade wrote a very important article in the Winter 2008 issue of the museum’s quarterly newsletter that explained in detail how the two Missouri War Axes were acquired at the Osage Reservation and about the striped clothe the handles were wrapped with. This is truly an excellent authentic example that is well-documented and published. 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 tomahawk shows a total length of 19.25”. Ex-Museum of the Fur Trade/Jim Dresslar/Mark Francis collections. References: Museum of The Fur Trade Newsletter Volume 44 Issue #4 Winter 2008 "The Mark Francis Collection of American Indian Art" by Mark Francis (2009) "The Missouri War Axe: War Tomahawk of the Plains and Prairies" by Mark Francis (2010) "Indian Tomahawks and Frontiersmen Belt Axes" by James Hartzler & Daniel Knowles (1995) 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.