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Sioux Gunstock War Club from Jack Red Cloud 19th C

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:7,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Sioux Gunstock War Club from Jack Red Cloud 19th C
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This is a rare and important authentic original gunstock spontoon war club owned by Jack Red Cloud a Lakota Sioux Native American Indian. Jack Red Cloud (1858-1928) was the first son of legendary Lakota Sioux Chief Red Cloud and Pretty Owl Woman. The war club was given to Father Joseph Ward by Jack Red Cloud in the early 1900’s and Ward put it on display at the Yankton Indian College Museum in Yankton, South Dakota. The club was sold to a private collector an artifact dealer when the college closed in 1987 and sold off its entire contents. The club features a long wood gunstock haft expertly carved and adorned with old green and black paint and extensive brass trade tack designs. The tomahawk war club also features a Revolutionary war style spontoon forged blade with side notch cuts that is inset into the haft and secured with a pin. The blade is touch-marked “I & H SORBY” on the left side. I&H Sorby was the hallmark of John Sorby & Sons which was acquired by Lockwood Brothers Sheffield, England in 1844. Lockwood Bros. still operated out of their Arundel Street Factory but created the I&H Sorby items out of their Spital Hill Works factory. The I&H Sorby touch-mark would be found on trade knives and dag knives which were exported to the American frontiersman and traded to the Native American Indians where they would alter the pieces to their liking. The blade measures 7.25”L and the war club measures 32” L overall. The club was reportedly used by Jack Red Cloud during the late Indian Wars period and as a dance object later during the early reservation period. The club has large punch-stamping into the right side of the haft which Father Joseph Ward at Yankton College most likely had done. It is documented that Joseph Ward had similarly marked other Red Cloud items, such as a tomahawk blade in the museum, in this same fashion. This war club reads, “JACK RED CLOUD PINE RIDGE SIOUX”. This war club is pictured in the new book “Rare American Indian Weapons Tomahawks, War Clubs and Knives” (2018) by Mark Francis on page 59. From the collections of Tom Hardy and Ben Thompson.