PLAINS INDIAN TOMAHAWK,19th-20th century, possibly Lakota Sioux. Elaborately engraved tomahawk brass blade with a heart shaped cut out. The brass blade is firmly fitted on the top of the wooden handle and further affixed by leather sinews encircling the handle held in place with brass tacks, more leather sinews and two sets of larger light green/turquoise, and yellow beads. With the exception of a decorative ¾" wide leather wrapping with brass tacks, at the very bottom of the curved handle, the balance of the 18 ½ inch handle, is covered with a very large number of white, red, black, yellow and green seed beads encircling the handle with asymmetrical circle widths with decorative motifs in black and white beads ( a cross) on a field of green beads and an abstract central medallion in black, red, green, and yellow beads on a field of red beads. Also, at the very bottom of the handle a shock of horse hair (bottom of tomahawk not visible in photo) is held in place by a leather sinew with a red band and two sets of larger light green/turquoise, and yellow and even larger, light brown and purplish blue bead - Handle: 18 1/2 in. x 7 1/2 in. Estimate $4,000-6,000
