This is an exceptional and rare style of Missouri War Axe Tomahawk dating to circa 1840-1850 and attributed to the Comanche in Southern Oklahoma. This is a Pre-Indian Wars period large heavy example tomahawk that features a hand forged iron head measuring 8 ¼ inches in length by 4 inches across the bottom of the blade. The blade has a rare four-point morning star symbol cut-out with small punch dot engraved decoration in between each point. The walnut wood haft has a poured pewter end cap at the top along with an old Buffalo Indian tanned hide wraps with long fringe secured onto the haft with brass trade tacks. The Buffalo hide accenting the head and grips show an artful cut edge design. This is a very fine, authentic, and well documented and published piece that displays very well. The piece measures 21 inches in total length. This is pictured in “The Mark Francis Collection of American Indian Art” (2009) by Mark Francis on page 120 figure 189: “The Missouri War Axe: War Tomahawks of the Plains and Prairies” (2010) by Mark Francis on page 48 figure 55; and a close up of the head in “Plains Art: A Study of Artifacts of the Central Plains” (2008) by F.C. Crissman. The piece is from the collection of Albert Miller, Bill Edwards, Fred Crissman, and Mark Francis. 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. Only a small handful of tribes were known to have used this style of tomahawk and in only one specific region. They were made in small numbers, making early surviving examples such as this extremely rare and historically important.

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