Late Gothic Crossbows and Accouterments

[Micke D]

Lovely Michael!

I would say that your Straubing #2 is the oldest and most interesting of the three, (made in like 1410-1420?), and a bit of a missing link between the older type like W1109 in Köln made maybe around 1400 and the other two Straubing crossbows made as you say about 1430-1440.

/Micke

[Matchlock]

You are doubtlessly right, Micke,


At least as far as formal and stylistic dating criteria are concerned.

With its overall proportions, especially the long and delicate tiller, plus the straight tiller trigger (trigger bar) which is rectangular still and does not yet show the rounded knee-like forward bow, the Straubing crossbow #2 indeed seems, in terms of period, very close to the general High Gothic style of around 1400, as depicted by Konrad Kyeser in Bellifortis, Eichstätt/Bavaria, 1405 (top attachment), the Köln crossbow W 1109, with his curved bow now finally mounted the correct way - although some museum people stilll are convinced it looked 'more authentic' before (in their inexpert eyes only), on a painting of ca. 1430 depicting a mounted crossbow man, and on a Bavarian painting from an altar piece, ca. 1420-25, whereas two miniatures in the Stundenbuch (book of hours) of Katharina von Kleve, ca. 1440, seem to represent a remarkably more evolved type.

On the other hand, this could lead to the conclusion that the Köln crossbow is even older - ca. 1370-80?!

Actually the facts probably were more or less the same as in all former armories, the Landeszeughaus Graz etc.: whenever a series of no matter what kind of weapons was ordered the pieces showed minor differences depending on whether an older fellow had kept and continued his obsolete style, or maybe a few younger working next to him had adopted the more recent style.

Would you rank the Straubing crowssbow now in the Jagdmuseum between the two others, or closer in style to no. 1?

Attachments appearing in the order referred to in the text.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Some very early sources of period illustrations depicting crossbows - and proving that shapes of the trigger bar that we would date '2nd half 15th c.' seem to have existed more than 200 years ago!

Attachments, from top:

- Maciejowski Bible, ca. 1245-50 (5)

- Liber ad honorem Augusti, Southern Italy, ca. 1194-96, Burgerbibl. Berne/Switzerland

- ca. 1225-50

- Codex Manesse, ca. 1305 (2)

- Spain or Portugal, 12th c., National Archive Lisbon (thanks, Nando!

- Siege of Cologne by the Huns, early 15th c.

- crossbow stored in its leather case (!), 1st half 15th c.

- Luttrell Psalterium, ca. 1330, British Library


Best,
m

[Matchlock]

Two items very rare to find in detached condition, and visible from all sides :

two stirrups and a tiller trigger/trigger bar, from crossbows of the 2nd half of the 15th c.
The first stirrup: 11.9 x 0.98 x 3.4 x 9.63 cm.

m

[Matchlock]

Andi posted this historically important Ottoman incendiary arrow:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...621#post170621

This rare item has been identified as an arrow rather than a crossbow bolt, for the fact that long bows were favorized in Muslim areas, and in the 16th and 17th centuries.
It has been preserved at the Stadtmuseum of Klosterneuburg (museum of the City of Klosterneuburg) located at the Danube River, near Vienna, Lower Austria)ever since The Second Great Siege of Vienna by the Turks, 14 July through 12 September 1683!

For important contemporary illustrations, see Wikipedia:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca..._of_Vienna.png

Please also cf. my thread:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...k+Suhl+Austria


Thanks, Andi,
and best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

I retrieved these from Ebay.com where it sold a few days ago.
Enjoy the singular occasion.

Best,
Michael

[Mac]

Here is another isolated stirrup. I can take some better pics if there is interest.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...hmentid=&stc=1

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...hmentid=&stc=1

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...hmentid=&stc=1

(I am having trouble getting the attachments from the "attach files" box to show up as images in "preview post". I hope someone can set me straight here...)

Mac