Any fur trade aficionados out there?

[2ndoldman]

I found this metal detecting the other day.
The first 2 are as found pics.


The next set are after a little cleaning.
It is in rough shape and it was found on the site of a Catholic nunnery which was established in 1850.
I can picture one of the nuns bashing the crap out of anything native at that time. :sick:

[gregszybala]

Very cool find! Ceremonial?
The fur trade in North America was a very interesting period. I had a professor in college, the fur trade was his primary interest, it soon became mine!

[Ron Kelley]

Door knocker that swiveled on a rod through the shoulders?

[Kyflintguy]

I found this link that may help ...

http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com/index.html

[Olden]

.
Nice find - that's one for the display case.
That 'hawk's made with a thick brass stock. which shows a nice age.

[painshill]

It is undoubtedly a (rather nice) fur-trade pipe tomahawk of European origin (probably French or English). Although it combines the symbolic design emblems of peace (the pipe bowl) and war (the tomahawk blade) it doesn’t have either function. Elaborate pieces – in addition to being used for general trading - often served as presentation gifts given to Indian leaders and were carried as badges of status and social standing.

[rmartin]

Super find Bruce! I love the before and after pics

[lukecreekwalker]

This is amazing.  Congrats on the find!

[2ndoldman]

painshill wrote:

It is undoubtedly a (rather nice) fur-trade pipe tomahawk of European origin (probably French or English). Although it combines the symbolic design emblems of peace (the pipe bowl) and war (the tomahawk blade) it doesn’t have either function. Elaborate pieces – in addition to being used for general trading - often served as presentation gifts given to Indian leaders and were carried as badges of status and social standing.

  Roger your assessment of the piece is exactly the same one I received, via a friend, from  Howard Bowe, Anthropology professor and author of  "A legacy of stone : projectile point and hafted knife forms from Eastern Manitoba" To quote his reply. "Looks as good as gold to me....that's the sort of find that makes metal detecting worth while". After he received the cleaned pics he replied. "Is that pipe made of brass? If so, it probably was a presentation tomahawk....very rare and very valuable. I love all the etchings on it....fantastic find."

[painshill]

[QUOTE]2ndoldman wrote:

It is undoubtedly a (rather nice) fur-trade pipe tomahawk of European origin (probably French or English). Although it combines the symbolic design emblems of peace (the pipe bowl) and war (the tomahawk blade) it doesn’t have either function. Elaborate pieces – in addition to being used for general trading - often served as presentation gifts given to Indian leaders and were carried as badges of status and social standing.

Roger your assessment of the piece is exactly the same one I received, via a friend, from Howard Bowe, Anthropology professor and author of "A legacy of stone : projectile point and hafted knife forms from Eastern Manitoba" To quote his reply. "Looks as good as gold to me....that's the sort of find that makes metal detecting worth while". After he received the cleaned pics he replied. "Is that pipe made of brass? If so, it probably was a presentation tomahawk....very rare and very valuable. I love all the etchings on it....fantastic find."


There are some just like it in the British Museum's collection... even with the same bowl shape and that V-shaped casting below the bowl. It seems that both the French and English used that design feature. The engraving and/or punch marks are different on each blade and I guess represent subsequent embellishment and decoration of the axe to customize or personalize it.
It is indeed a lovely piece of history.

[2ndoldman]

[QUOTE]painshill wrote:

[quote=2ndoldman post=140723]

It is undoubtedly a (rather nice) fur-trade pipe tomahawk of European origin (probably French or English). Although it combines the symbolic design emblems of peace (the pipe bowl) and war (the tomahawk blade) it doesn’t have either function. Elaborate pieces – in addition to being used for general trading - often served as presentation gifts given to Indian leaders and were carried as badges of status and social standing.

  Roger your assessment of the piece is exactly the same one I received, via a friend, from  Howard Bowe, Anthropology professor and author of  "A legacy of stone : projectile point and hafted knife forms from Eastern Manitoba" To quote his reply. "Looks as good as gold to me....that's the sort of find that makes metal detecting worth while". After he received the cleaned pics he replied. "Is that pipe made of brass? If so, it probably was a presentation tomahawk....very rare and very valuable. I love all the etchings on it....fantastic find."
  There are some just like it in the British Museum's collection... even with the same bowl shape and that V-shaped casting below the bowl. It seems that both the French and English used that design feature. The engraving and/or punch marks are different on each blade and I guess represent subsequent embellishment and decoration of the axe to customize or personalize it.
It is indeed a lovely piece of history.
  Is it possible to post a link to pictures of the tomahawks in the museum?

[painshill]

Hi Bruce
Unfortunately, only a small portion of the museum’s collection can be viewed on-line (and the annotation isn't always great), but here’s one with that V-feature, typical of what I remembered seeing on French and British examples in the museum itself:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=517611&partId=1&searchText=tomahawk&images=true&page=1

If you use the search engine to trawl for “tomahawk pipe” (with the “Images Only” box ticked) then you’ll see other examples… both engraved and plain.

[2ndoldman]

Thank you Roger I did see 2 very nice examples of solid brass tomahawk pipes. :woohoo:

[hvs]

Thats one heck of a find . i think i would make a nice handle for it and display it in its own frame..   

[huntwild]

That's it. I am quitting my job and buying a metal detector. INCREDIBLE!