^Lot 3553 RARE & FINE LATE PLAINS STYLE PIPE TOMAHAWK CIRCA

1870.This was Mr. Berenson's prized pipe tomahawk, it was centrally displayed with custom stand, it has impeccable surface and patina. 22.5" pewter inset ash haft, 10" forged head, tear drop eye, 4" sharpened cutting edge, rocker engraved stemmed large leaf & flower decoration reminiscent of John Wilson's signed work, but his hawks are smaller and not sharpened. Several John Wilson decorated hawks are published in John Baldwin & Mark Francis books. John Wilson (1805-1870) worked in Chadron, NE starting about 1850, his heads are usually unsharpened and only 7" with longer spur filed chevrons, but similar and characteristic shape of what John Baldwin classifies as phase III style. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: copies of pages from 2 texts showing John Wilson hawks. CONDITION: fine overall, head has dark iron patina, light pitting, rocker engraving is worn but fairly visible when angled in light. Original thin tarred cloth gasket is deteriorated, only fragments remain, so head is slightly loose. Haft has hand worn patina, numerous tiny scratches on pewter insets as expected after 150 years. (02-27328/JS). NON-GUN. 4,000-6,000.