The Murdering Town Queen

Pipe tomahawk by Iron John Logan

The Murdering Town Queen: Pipe Tomahawk by Iron John Logan

Christmas Eve 1753, George Washington and his Virginia militiamen on a mission to the French fort Fort Le Boeuf in present-day western Pennsylvania camped the night at the Lenni Lenape village of Murdering Town. In his journal he describes that the next day they crossed the river and visited with a Native American "Queen" and gave her presents. Giving to notable Native Americans was an established diplomatic practice at the time, but who this Queen was and what exactly they gave her we do not know. Mere months before the outbreak of the French and Indian War, the British and the colonial Americans were desperate to gain Native allies - the gifting of a pipe tomahawk, a symbol of both war and peace, was a common feature in these cross-cultural visits.

The Murdering Town Queen pipe tomahawk and stand was hand crafted using traditional tools and techniques to bring back a piece of the past by contemporary artist Iron John Logan. It was inspired by numerous antique tomahawks from the mid 18th century Colonial Frontier. The head is hand forged from a black powder rifle barrel, filed and whitesmithed to a gleaming finish, then patinaed with a historical blue vitriol wash. The hickory handle is heavily inlaid with poured pewter bands, diamonds and diagonals common to the time period and is aged with aquafortis with a hand rubbed oil finish. Handle is drilled for smoking and is sealed to the pipe head with a leather gasket like many of the originals. Solid pewter mouthpiece and head stock with a turned antler plug on the fore end. Edge is not steeled. Included stand is made from old oak barn timber with solid brass and felt armature. Tomahawk is signed and dated by the maker Iron John Logan

Measures 7 x 16-1/2 with a 2-1/2 inch edge. Stand measures roughly 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 by 7 tall. Together 10-1/2 overall height.

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