This reproduction of a Native American spear or atlatl dart point was made by Virgil Tonn, a rancher from Georgetown, just north of Austin, Texas. Virgil achieves the beautiful flake patterns by grinding down a blank to a perfect configuration and then he flakes the surface. This grinding technique was perfected by the ancient Egyptians but not by Native Americans. The material that Virgil used to construct this piece is Brazilian Agate. This lithic point is a corner notch design similar to points found in Utah and adjacent states.

This lithic point is from the collection Ben Ruhe. Ben worked for the Smithsonian for many years and then he became a collector of art, Australian Aboriginal artifacts and contemporary boomerangs. Ben was very interested in flint knapping and he spent a lot of time visiting top knappers, such as Woody Blackwell, Steve Behrens and Virgil Tonn. Of all the points that Ben Ruhe collected, this one was his personal favorite. I purchased this one from him in 2005 to add to my own collection of lithic artifacts. Please check out the photos to see the detailed work on this lithic reproduction.