Plains stone axe for ?ing

[Tim Simmons]

Here I present qualified printed reference to my suggestions. This exert is taken from.
" Collecting Indian Knives Identification and Value, Lar Holthem, Includes Paleo, Archaic, Woodland-Mississippian, Hafted knives, Caches, Ceremonial, Historic, Plus Much More. Books Americana 1986 "

The blade on this example of artwork relates to much of the perhistoric forms, on the plains, that is possibly not much more than 300 years ago or so.

[Tim Simmons]

Looking for similar pieces. I found this lovely double horn pointed example in the Brooklyn museum. Plus to me, rather suspect "antique" pieces with prices over $700 {knapped stone} and $500 for the plain example. That is several times more than I would be prepared to pay. Clearly they lack any artistic thought and aesthetic design.

[Tim Simmons]

I have just received a very informative book on Plains Indian art. The book put much into perspective. Exert-

After 1891, adaption to the new ways continued with some resisting and others willing to become those called progressives. Under the leadership of their pre-reservation leaders, sub-groups of larger tribes dispersed into settlements throughout the reservations away from agency headquarters. On individually allotted lands, communities grew with government substations, day schools, churches, and non- Indian trading trading posts. Religious groups established boarding schools near agencies. Distant boarding schools sprang up, some in eastern US cities, to remove Native students from tribal society and acculturate them to American lifestyles.
Until 1881, specially adorned garments, footwear, and other accouterments were worn on ceremonial public occasions and signified the owner's status. That year the government officially decreed such ceremonial ans social occasions forbidden and assigned punishments for offenders. Some of these heirloom pieces were exchanged for food and household necessities at newly established trading posts and business near reservations. Merchants stocked seed beads and other art media, and women artisans continued making traditional items and sold their creations to the stores. Thus merchants became middlemen in a newly created market for collectors, museums, and other interested institutions, or individuals visiting the reservation.
Newly made items also adorned children as they began their journeys to distant boarding schools. Upon arrival, these were replaced with uniforms and manufactured shoes. decorated items, some of heirloom quality, also became payments and gifts to school officials, clergy, and doctors. some of these were the beginnings of collections that would find their way into auction houses and museums after several generations of non-Indian owners.
As early as 1885 and until 1914, Native men, women and children preformed in Western-life exhibitions and wild west shows. They returned with cash, art media, and fashions of dress reflective of their cosmopolitan experience. New or recycled but increasingly elaborate traditional garments for performers were now worn for Wild West tours the most well known being Buffalo Bill Cody's show that toured England in 1887 and Europe in 1889-91.

Taken from "The Plains Indians Artists of Earth and Sky, Musee Du Quai Branly, SkiraRizzoli, 2014"

A great museum to visit, not so good for pictures, low light levels no flash so you and your camera need to really know what you are doing.

Native Americans still make art but the Aesthetics have moved on into the late 20th and 21st century.

Yes you can still buy "Indian Art" replicas, fantasy weapons, dream catcher kitsch and rubbish stuff.

[buendia]

A few years ago I owned such an axe from SE Denmark. The head was supposedly original 6000 years old. The knapping traces were indeed covered with white patina. The shaft was made according to neolithic finds. There was a golden printed certificate with it... Nevertheless, I own(ed) a lot of neolithic axes from the middle Europe and all of them are polished at least at the very edge.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ps0315e10b.jpg

[Tim Simmons]

That's very interesting. I am not suggesting this axe blade IF genuine, is older than 120 years at the most, and was never made for cutting work.

[Tim Simmons]

Now I am not saying this is genuine or a skilled reproduction. I just want to point out that the item displays skills, not just balance and aesthetics. You can see the the wood has been treated with fire. You can see the real wood colour showing where there is a crack which I suspect was caused by this process.

[Tim Simmons]

This piece still fascinates and stimulates me. I have found a detailed university research paper which explores the concept of 'art and costly signaling' and the manufacture of seemingly useless and time consuming products among plains people. It is a over 100 pages long with so very nice photos of late 19th century Sioux art. I have cut and paste a in a nut shell extract as well as a link. Long but well worth the effort rewarding you with enlightenment.

Hypothesis 1: Displays of body decoration and personal adornment by
nineteenth century Lakota tribal members operated as social signals of
prestige and skill, and were costly in terms of energy and resources.
These costs guaranteed that only those individuals who could bear
them would be able to produce the displays.
Hypothesis 2: Costly signaling through body decoration and personal
adornment by Lakota tribal members reliably indicated some hidden
trait or characteristic of the signaler, and in order to maintain the
honesty of these signals, some social mechanism operated to prevent
free-riders from faking signals.
Hypothesis 3: Costly signaling through body decoration and personal
adornment by Lakota individuals was beneficial to both the signaler

and receiver, resulting in a payoff of enhanced prestige at the level of
the individual.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/vi...t=anthrotheses