Tomahawk / African
Essay/Description
Tomahawk, steel blade -- Thin, steel blade attached to a wooden handle that resembles the head of a walking cane. There are four holes equally spaced along the handle. A leather thong connects each of these holes, and there are three feathers attached to the end of the handle. There was a note in the Engles’ collection that said: “French trader’s tomahawk - belonged to Gray Eagle - Indian judge at Standing Rock.” However, this tomahawk is similar to pieces from West Africa. It also appears that the feathers were added to this item much later in an attempt to make the object appear to be Native American.