This is an outstanding circa 1860-1880 Missouri War Axe tomahawk from the Pawnee Native American Indian Nation in Kansas. The tomahawk features a hand forged head that measures 8 inches long by 4.5 inches wide and has a wonderful weeping heart cutout in the center of the blade. The head is secured to the hard wood haft with a poured pewter end cap showing an artful saw tooth pewter inlay design around the outer edge of the eye hole. The haft is decorated with brass trade tacks and has an old wrap of cut parfleche strips, old trade clothe, and fringed buckskin for the grip. The hide has some drying from age and the entire tomahawk shows excellent rich patina and proper signs of use. The fringed hide hangs down 11 inches. Total length of the tomahawk itself is 21.5 inches. This is truly a great authentic weapon from the Plains and Prairies. 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.

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