Wintu Arrow Replica SOLD

This beautiful arrow is an exact copy of one that's part of a set of Shasta/Wintu arrows from northern California that's on display at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Every aspect of the original is copied including wood species, paint design, and dimensions. It is shipped in a sturdy PVC pipe to ensure safe delivery to your door.

The arrow is 2 parts. The main shaft is made from a beautifully straight syringa shoot. The front of the shaft is wrapped with deer sinew to prevent splitting, then the front portion of the arrow was drilled out and an insert (called a foreshaft) made of serviceberry was carefully carved to fit into the front of the main shaft. The foreshaft lies perfectly in-line with the main shaft and doesn't wobble when spun. The front of the foreshaft is tipped with a beautiful side-notched point of obsidian that's held in place with pine sap glue and then a wrapping of wet deer sinew. The sinew dries when it shrinks. making an incredible strong binding.

The rear of the shaft was fletched with three Canada Goose wing feathers that are secured on each end with sinew and are glued to the shaft with hide glue. And finally the paint design perfectly matches the design on the original arrow in terms of color, placement and dimensions. For added authenticity, the paint pigments are crushed charcoal and earth pigment...they are not store bought colors. This is a perfect museum-quality replica arrow that follows the traditions of the Wintu hunters of northern California. If you want an actual copy of a real western Native American arrow, look no further. Rest assured the replicas I offer are based on years of research of authentic artifacts in museums and private collections across the country. Every detail, no matter how small, is faithfully followed.

The archery gear of the Northern California tribes was exquisite, often showing consistently painstaking work. One of the subte (but distinctive) features of arrows from Northern California is very fine grooves that were sanded into the arrow. Look closely at some of the close-up photos and you'll see them replicated on this arrow too. These were normally added where the sinew wrappings were placed and where the arrow was painted to give the sinew and paint a better grip. But they're also aesthetically pleasing to the eye, which is also why the extent of their application often exceeded practical function.

These grooves are made by sanding with a plant called horsetail rush. There's no modern substitute that can replicate these fine grooves, so I had to use the very same horsetail rush to create the grooves. These grooves resemble fine threads on a screw. Although we're not exactly sure how they were applied, I've come up with a technique that gives identical results to the old arrows seen in museums. These horsetail rush grooves are very distinctive and are a dead giveaway for authentic Native American arrows from northern California. And they're perfectly replicated on this arrow. The grooves must be carefully applied, and it's a time consuming and painstaking endeavor to apply them correctly. The grooves were quite extensive on the original arrow, so I had to follow suit. They're present on the front half of the foreshaft, below the sinew wrapping that reinforces the main shaft where the foreshaft fits, and they're also present underneath the feathers. That took some time to do, but rest assured no corners were cut when making this arrow. I think the results speak for themselves.

Arrow Specs: Replica Wintu/Shasta arrow from Northern California, syringa main shaft, serviceberry foreshaft, obsidian point, real deer sinew wrappings, Canada goose wing feather fletch. Total length: 31 3/8 inches.

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