Lot 168
North America, United States, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. An interesting collection of steel ends from a rifle barrel that show the progression from merely a muzzle end into a tomahawk axe, the rifle barrels used may have been from an antique gun but were probably shaped in modern times for demonstrative purposes. Europeans brought iron headed tomahawks to trade with Native American tribes to use as peace offerings to ensure harmonious relations. Frontiersmen and settlers looking to trade with the Native Americans likely fashioned tomahawks from scrap iron and steel - the salvaged end of a gun barrel would have been the perfect item to make a tomahawk head as exemplified by this collection showing each stage of the process. Each piece is professionally mounted onto a wooden panel with a bolt. Perfect as an educational display piece to demonstrate some interesting forging / blacksmithing production. Size of final axe head: 6.25" L x 2.5" W (15.9 cm x 6.4 cm); wood panel: 21" L x 7" W (53.3 cm x 17.8 cm)
The Penn Museum's article by Margaret Bruchac and Kayla Holmes, "Investigating a Pipe Tomahawk," investigates the merging of European iron axes and Native American smoking pipes: "While the history seems to suggest that iron tomahawks were European creations introduced into Native society, it is unclear who decided to bring the pipe and the tomahawk together. There are two possible origin stories. One possibility is that pipe tomahawks were first manufactured by blacksmiths in Europe or America who "recognized the advantages of bringing the two objects together" as a clever gadget, a new negotiation tool. A more intriguing possibility is that a Native man familiar with metal working (likely one who had apprenticed to a Euro-American blacksmith) constructed the first pipe tomahawk to create something to demonstrate an Indigenous concept: a Native offering of peace could be met with ferocity if any betrayal occurred. In other words, this object signaled: "Peace or War Your Choice.""
Provenance: private Glorieta, New Mexico, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#160471
- Condition: Surface wear and abrasions to steel pieces as expected with age and use. Unclear the age of each piece, but tomahawk is probably 19th century while the barrels are 20th C. or earlier. All are mounted to a wood display board with iron bolts.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 26.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |