"I live in north Tennessee, I live on the Tennessee River with my wife Tereena, I have been making primitive tools and Weapons since the age of 10." Don Wilcox, "Knapperdon," flintknappers.com.
    "(years ago) I made bows and arrows using authentic points until I later learned to make them. They were good enough to take out chickens, rabbits and squirrels." 2013, Don Wilcox, "Pete Bostrom personal communication."
    "A few knappers make "eccentrics," that is, non-point forms, which usually have the edges flaked with elaborate notches, barbs, or even silhouettes of heads or animals."------2004, John C. Whittaker, "American Flintknappers, Stone Age Art In The Age Of Computers" p. 239.
     "(Mayan culture) Eccentric flints are chipped flint objects of unusual, essentially non-utilitarian forms, including such things as rings, or circles, crescents, S-shaped figures and various life-forms (such as humans, bats, jaguars, dogs, scorpions and centipedes)."----1972, Gordon R. Willey, "Eccentrics," The Artifacts Of Altar De Sacrificios, p. 181.
    "Around 56 bifacially worked flint animals (such as hippopotamus & ibex) are known. As over half the examples known are attributable to Predynastic Hierakonpolis (Egypt)"---------1999, Carolyn Anne Graves-Brown, (from doctorate thesis, reference Hendrickx) "The Ideological Significance Of Flint In Dynastic Egypt, Vol. 1," p. 485.
    "(in Predynastic Egypt)---clay was molded into animal figurines and little erratically shaped flints were kept, possibly as amulets."--------1984, Michael A Hoffman, "Egypt Before The Pharaohs, The Prehistoric Foundations Of Egyptian Civilization," p. 154.

 
MODERN-MADE ANIMAL ART
NORTH AMERICA
PRESENT DAY

     Don Wilcox began experimenting with flintknapping at the age of 10 and from that point on its been a life-long interest. He began making bows and arrows at an early age and tipped his arrows with old points. But it wasn't long before he could make his own. He learned basic flint knapping on his own by studying the bits and pieces of flint he found in cultivated fields. It took about three years to learn flint knapping when he later began doing it in a more serious way. His wife, Tereena, says that Don's first thought of making animal forms was at a Pow-Wow at Tuscumbia, Alabama when a friend asked him, "have you ever tried to make animal shapes?"

     Among the flint knapping community Don goes by the handle "Knapperdon." He says he was able to learn more about the subject  when he discovered knap-ins and could see what types of tools, and techniques other knappers were using. Don uses copper tools but he can also work with the more traditional tools, like the ones made of antler.

      Don considers himself to be a primitive artist. He bases his art on wildlife and Native Americans and that influence may come from his ancestry. Both he and his wife Tereena are descendants of Native American Indians.

     Don says that he likes to make unique pieces that are pleasing to gaze upon and study. Each one of his animal forms are certainly different and unique in that way.

    Don is a carver of stone, antler, wood and bone. But his main interest is in stone and more specifically in flaked stone. Besides his animal & nature figures he also makes a wide variety of both traditional and "exotic art" points. He has made everything from Clovis and Pinetree points to Moustache Simpsons.

    Don has used all types of chert, Jasper, and agate for his flint knapped animal art. He has used the more common forms of stone, like Dover, Knife River, Arkansas Novaculite and Brazilian Agate. But he's also used more rare forms, like Horse Creek or a particularly rare type he calls Painted Buffalo that outcrops in Tennessee.

    Don Wilcox has probably made as many or more "quality" animal forms than any other modern knapper. Early on, he liked to make bears and buffalo. But in recent years he's made a wide variety of animal forms, like snakes, lizards, squirrels, horses, eagles, dogs, dolphins, turtles, panthers, seahorses, stingrays, frogs, butterflies, deer, kangaroos, and dragons. The largest "animal" he's made so far was a black panther that measured 6 inches (15.2 cm) long and 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide.

     Flint knapped animal art is not unique, only to modern flint knappers. The Mayan culture produced large numbers of natural looking and stylized forms of scorpions, centipedes and bats. Also, during the Predynastic period in Egypt, craftsmen produced animals in the form of ibex and hippopotamus. The ancient forms relate to important cultural ideas. The modern forms are works of art.

    Don sells most of his knapped animal art. But he and his wife has wisely kept some of his better pieces. It's amazing how the art of flint knapping keeps evolving and moving in different directions. No one in the days of "gray ghosts" and McCormick's Folsom's would ever have imagined that so many people would become so deeply involved in flint knapping. Don Wilcox's knapped animal art represents another high point in this unique form of art.

"REFERENCES"

2013, flintknappers.com, "Knapperdon,"
2013, carverscorner.com, "Don Stone Man."
2004, Whittaker, John C., "American Flintknappers, Stone Age Art In The Age Of Computers" p. 240.
1999, Graves-Brown, Carolyn Anne, (from doctorate thesis, reference Hendrickx) "The Ideological Significance Of Flint In Dynastic Egypt, Vol. 1," p. 485.
1984, Hoffman, Michael A, "Egypt Before The Pharaohs, The Prehistoric Foundations Of Egyptian Civilization," p. 154.
1972, Willey, Gordon R., "Eccentrics," The Artifacts Of Altar De Sacrificios, p. 181.
Personal Communication, Don Wilcox.
Personal Communication, Tereena Wilcox.
Personal Communication, Tony Podkanowicz

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