Pipe tomahawk

Accession number: 1998.2

Pipe tomahawks like this were examples of cultural interaction. The English took the Indian idea of the tomahawk, but by inlaying it with German silver, brass, and copper, they made it a fashion accessory for the English gentlemen pioneers who played a large role in westward exploration. This tomahawk was found in Clarksburg (now West Virginia), but probably was made in the Valley of Virginia by a "Kentucky rifle" maker with inlaying skills, c.1780–1800.

Image rights owned by the Virginia Historical Society. Rights and reproductions