This is an exceptional circa 1820-1840 presentation grade pipe tomahawk from the Jan Sorgenfrei (1942-2012). The pipe tomahawk war club is from the Great Lakes Native American Indian region. The piece was purchased by Jan Sorgenfrei, the former owner of the Old Barn Auction in Findlay, Ohio, from noted collector of pre-historic and historic relics, Clem Caldwell (1918-2007). The tomahawk sat in a glass display case for many years in the auction gallery museum alongside an early American Indian Dag Knife and J. Wilson made pipe tomahawk before later being sold by Jan Sorgenfrei to noted collector and author Mark Francis in 2009. The piece features an expertly blacksmith hand-forged and decorated pipe tomahawk head measuring 7 ¾ inches in length with a 2 ½ inch long blade. The head is secured onto the haft with a poured silver pewter gasket and has an artful hand-stipple engraved figure of an American Bald Eagle wearing a U.S. themed shield and having a war lance and two arrows in its talons. The head has forged moldings, chevrons and filed rings around the top and bottom of the pipe bowl. There is a small rear facing spur at the bottom inside edge of the axe blade. The haft shows two wide, decorative silver pewter bands in the center of the haft, a truly artistic and wonderful addition. The haft has a split near the smoking tip, and expected, but minor wear from good age and use. Sorgenfrei kept the head and haft waxed to preserve the piece from further degradation and corrosion. It is pictured in the upcoming 2019 book "Rare American Indians Volume 2". For similar authentic Indian tomahawks with figural eagle engravings on the blade, see "American Indian Tomahawks" (1965) by Harold Peterson figures 124 and 303; "Tomahawks and Pipe Axes of the American Frontier" (1995) by John Baldwin figure 59; and "Indian Tomahawks and Frontiersmen Belt Axes" (1995) by James Hartzler & Daniel Knowles page 126 figure 20, and page 143 figure 55. The tomahawk measures overall 17.5”L. Ex Clem Caldwell/Jan Sorgenfrei/Mark Francis collections. 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.