Relics of the American West: 1850-1920 - ONLINE ONLY
Lot 2418:
Description
This fascinating trio features a stone-headed war club, a bone-handled adze, and a trade-style knife, evocative of Plains Indian craftsmanship. The war club is constructed with a heavy, tapered stone head entirely encased in stitched rawhide that extends down the wooden handle, showing the classic “shrunk-to-fit” technique. The adze utilizes a sturdy, curved large mammal bone—likely bison or elk—as a handle, with a metal blade secured by heavy cordage. The knife features a carbon steel blade and a wood handle displaying hand-carved linear markings or tallies on both sides, suggesting a personalized “frontier” history. While these pieces show significant age and traditional construction, they are likely early 20th-century ceremonial or decorative items rather than pre-contact artifacts. The rawhide on the club shows some drying and minor perforations, the adze bone has a natural aged patina with some minor staining, and the knife blade exhibits heavy oxidation and pitting consistent with age. Club: L 15″, W 6.75″, D 2.5″. Adze: L 11″, W 4.75″, D 1.5″. Knife: L 10.75″, Blade 6″. Please see photos.
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