This is an exceedingly rare quartz stone head skullcracker war club for use by horseback from the Plains Native American Indians dating to circa 1870 and from the Bruce VanLandingham Sundog collection. The Indian Wars era piece shows a hand carved bi-point quartz stone war club head which is held onto the haft handle with a wrapping of parfleche rawhide. The wood haft handle is completely covered in parfleche rawhide which is sewn with rawhide parfleche lacing and the surface has remnants of old yellow ocher mineral pigment paint and an incised spiral pattern. The head has a darkened color from age and use but when a light is held up to the stone it illuminates the quartz. Quartz heads such as this were thought to hold mystical power, other quartz heads have been documented as being used by the Northern Plains and Sioux. The large size with long haft lends to use on horseback creating immense force. Provenance: From the renowned Sundog Fine Art Bozeman, Montana collection by Bruce VanLandingham. Bruce VanLandingham was a pillar in the American Indian collecting community and a respected expert. Along with being an avid collector, Bruce was also the sole owner of Sundog Fine Art Gallery in Bozeman, which was both part museum and gallery, this piece is directly from the collection. Overall the piece is in well preserved condition with the hide opening / cracking three quarters of the way down the handle with additional flex (the wood could have a crack but feels solid with flex). Measures 27 5/8"L by 3.75"W by 2.25"D. Museum collection number E1070.