This is an exceptional rare and important authentic Osage Missouri Native American Indian War Axe Tomahawk. The piece dates to circa 1860. The war relic features an iron worked head with weeping heart cut out made by the Dunlap & Florer Trading Post at Pawhuska, Oklahoma (heart of the Osage Nation). The solid wood haft has an old red ocher mineral paint patina and thickly layered Indian tanned buckskin gasket wetted and dried at the top of the haft to secure the head into place. The rare weapon has been pictured in the 2009 publication/book “The Mark Francis Collection of American Indian Art” page 119 figure 187; and published in the 2010 book “The Missouri War Axe: War Tomahawk of the Plains and Prairies” page 43 figure 50. This is truly a terrific, well documented, and published weapon of the Indian Wars period and one of the finest examples being made available for public sale. Provenance: From the personal collection of renowned collector and foremost knowledge on war clubs and tomahawks, Mark Francis. The Francis collection piece has been authenticated, verified, and published. This is an excellent representation of an early Osage piece and the circa 1860’s authentic weapon shows exquisite craftsmanship. Truly a museum quality artifact. Lewis & Clark first described this type of weapon, with long, thin flat triangle-shaped blade which were forged from thin sheet iron, on their 1804-1805 expedition up the Missouri River. Lewis sketched an example in his journal and assumed these examples found with the Mandan and Hidatsa were likely supplied to the Indians many years before by French fur traders. It has been documented that this style of tomahawk was first manufactured by the Choteau's and Papin's in the late 1700's in the St. Louis area and sold and traded with local Osage and Pawnee Indians. This piece is a cast example made by the Dunlap & Florer Trading Post at the heart of the Osage Nation at Pawhuska, Oklahoma in the circa 1860 period, as researched by noted tomahawk authors and historians John Baldwin, Mark Francis, and Dr. James Hanson of the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, Nebraska. See the accompanying article by Dr. Hanson from a 2008 museum newsletter in photo #12. Pristine examples of this exact Dunlap & Florer head have been noted, as on Osage Chief Bacon Rind's piece with the red cloth-wrapped handle in the Museum of the American Indian in New York. This piece was purchased by collector Mark Francis from an Osage family at Pawhuska many years ago.

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