thread-sewn using colors of red white-heart, white, dark blue, pink, greasy yellow, and light blue glass seed beads; edged with red wool; signed Geronimo in blue ink on hide, length of case 27"; PLUS sinew-backed bow with red painted detailing and sinew string, length 42"; AND six arrows with painted details and iron points, average length 26".
Accompanying the bow is a handwritten note stating provenance: Made by daughter 16 yrs old/ given 1904/ Geronimo archery contest used this bow/ given to Navajo/ traded to M Stark for turquoise; AND Land Stakes an autobiography of Herbert A. Stark.
Stark discusses in chapter 4 of Land Stakes, his time working as a guide at the Saint Louis World's Fair. There, he became acquainted with many famous personalities including Teddy Roosevelt. In one of his final paragraphs of this chapter, Stark describes a Navajo store that he visited, He was a chief of the Navajos and had a big store room packed with Indian goods... I showed him a gold ring with a turquoise setting... He was willing to swap even... (Stark 51).
And now take a close look at the top arrow tip -- it is bent...
Neat.
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