Late Gothic Crossbows and Accouterments

[Matchlock]

I found this late-15th c. crossbow, together with a ca. 1530's cranequin, preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio.

See follower post.

m

[Matchlock]

A late-Gothic crossbow, ca. 1470, with composite horn bow, together with what seems to be one of the finest contemporary cranequins in existence; in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio.

m

[Matchlock]

http://www.google.de/imgres?q=craneq...:13,s:47,i:203

Unfortunately, no references to the respective museums are given ...

m

[Micke D]

That one is in Paris Michael!

[fernando]

I have the one that belonged to Wlrich of Würtemberg in one of my books but, unfortunately, no provenance is mentioned .

[fernando]

Another one without any mention .
Can you date it, Michl ?

.

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Micke D

That one is in Paris Michael!

The one in which post?

m

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by fernando

Another one without any mention .
Can you date it, Michl ?

.

Not any closer than 1st half 16th c.

m

[Micke D]

The crossbow shown in post 123, with cranequin and arrow is from Paris.

[Matchlock]

Great, Micke,


Thank you so much.

By Paris I guess you are referring to the Musée de l'Armée. When I was there by appointment, I sadly had to find out that the medieval department was closed.

Could you please let me know whether the attached quarrel casket is also there? (all images copied from the site quoted in post 123).
Please do post more images anyway - some folks here are definitely waiting to see you sharing your archives!!!

Btw, here is the fine Paris crossbow, ca. 1460-70, together with a matching late-15th c. cranequin.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

A late-Gothic crossbow, ca. 1470, with composite horn bow, together with what seems to be one of the finest contemporary cranequins in existence; in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio.

m

Do you think that the crossbows in posts no. 121 and 122 are identical? I realize it's highly probable but the dimensions of both the tiller(s) and the cranequin(s) seem to differ ... maybe due to the different angles the photos were taken ...

What do you think, Micke?

m

[Matchlock]

Two Late-Gothic quivers in the Vienna Arms Collection (Wiener Waffensammlung); the first of leather, of very slender shape and retaining its rare lid cover;
the second of wood covered with boar skin (the bristles now missing), the fletches painted read and green, the basic Late-Gothic colors, denoting their provenance: Schloss Ambras.
Photos from flickr.

Attached are two quarrels with painted fletchings from Schloss Ambras, and a view of the Vienna armor hall.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Micke D

The crossbow shown in post 123, with cranequin and arrow is from Paris.

Oh yes, Micke,


Shame on me!

The same photo, only smaller, is contained in Reverseau's 1982 book Musée de l'Armée - Les armes et la vie, which of course is in my library but I somehow overlooked it.

Still: do you have any other photos to post?


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

As a supplement to post 132, concerning Ambras quarrels with fletches painted red and green:

a detail from Thalhoffer's fencing books, 1459, vol. I, fol. 62.

m

[Micke D]

I will try and post something this week.

[Matchlock]

We are looking forward to your contributions!!!

m

[Matchlock]

Such pieces of period artwork are quite rare to detect.

The first instance dated 1461, the lower two ca. 1340, all from Swiss manuscripts.

At bottom a 1480's illustration from the Wolfegg Hausbuch, fol. 51v-52r, showing a crossbow in its quiver suspended from the saddle.

m

[Matchlock]

The only other period illustration, apart from the Wolfegg Hausbuch, I have come across depicting a crossbow stored away in its quiver, 2nd half 15th c.

m

[Matchlock]

Two more colored drawings from the Wolfegg Hausbuch, ca. 1480, of crossbows on horseback, the one on the left in the first picture stored away in its quiver.

m

[Matchlock]

It is only with some reluctance that I post this as it was obviously redrawn in 1898 after an early-16th c. original depiction which is not verified. So we do not know how exact the drawing actually is.

m

[Matchlock]

Finally two characteristic illustrations from Hans Talhoffer's Fencing Books, vol. 2, dated 1459, fol. 194 and 195.

Please note that, like in most period artwork on 'military' crossbows and guns, the tiller is depicted undyed and unvarnished - the cheapest variant.


m

[Matchlock]

Gothic crossbows and accouterments in the Landesmuseum Zürich, from the 1928 catalog by Gessler.

m

[Matchlock]

A woodcut of a crossbow man, with the cranequin mounted and ready for spanning the bow; by Urs Graf, from a book printed in 1513.

An Albanian quiver for arrows, from the 1533 chronicle on the Prince of Scanderberg.

And a miniature bordure of quiver, from a codex of ca. 1520, St. Gallen, Switzerland.


m

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Micke D

I will try and post something this week.

Can we still be considered, please?

m

[Swordfish]

This Nuremberg workshop arrow mark is also found on the barrels of matchlock Landsknecht arquebuses preserved in the Bayerisches Armeemuseum Ingolstadt, together with the same date 1537; this group of arquebuses was restocked in 1619 (two images attached).

My question:
From where is the information that thes arquebuses were restocked in 1619?

Best

[Matchlock]

A very fine Late-Gothic crossbow, ca. 1480-1500, mounted with one of the earliest etched and gilt steel bows which either might belong originally or could be a working-time replacement of a former composite horn bow.
It was sold comparatively cheap at 15,000 Deutschmark plus 23 per cent commission, Hermann Historica, 27 November 1982.

Best,
Michael

[Swordfish]

The bow of this crossbow is surely a later replacement and of a later date as the tiller. An etched and gilded bow does not match to the undecorated long tiller of a (war-)crossbow. Also the price of Euro 9,500 incl. commission in 1982 is not as cheap as it looks today (for a composite crossbow). If you calculate an inflation rate of 2,5 percent per year this sum commensurates with an amount of Euro 20,000 today.

A completely genuine late Gothic war-crossbow with steel bow was for sale at Hermann Historica October 2009, but remained unsold for a limit of Euro 16,000.
Length: 98cm
Weight: 6 kg

See attachments
Best

[Micke D]

Hi Michael and all other crossbow friends!

I think I may finally have some time to check my files and post some, I hope at least, interesting Swedish crossbow stuff.

I’m beginning it with this late 15th century crossbow from the wooden parts of middle Sweden. It is from Skog parish in Hälsingland.
The crossbows of this type are all still of almost the same size and type as the long and slender 14th century crossbows. Its located today at Livrustkammaren in Stockholm, Sweden.

Micke Dahlström,
Stockholm LockbowSociety,
Sweden

[Micke D]

Hi again!

The second piece is this early – mid 16th century crossbow with a double axle lock, probably not a weapon made in Sweden, but an import from somewhere in Germany.

It’s a very special crossbow. It’s not a composite bow with horn, wood and sinew, but a wood and sinew only bow. I don’t know for sure, but I guess that the bow is made of yew wood.

The tiller is probably made in pear wood that is stained black to make more contrast to the long white horn/bone plates on the sides and top.

The string is not the original but the bolt clip could be genuine. The bow is not covered with the usual printed birch bark cover, except for the middle where scrap pieces of printed birch bark is used under the hemp string that binds the bow to the tiller. My guess is that stained parchment strips are glued to the bow as decoration. The parchment is only used over the sinew so the wood is fully visible at the back.

It is also located today at Livrustkammaren in Stockholm, Sweden.

Micke Dahlström,
Stockholm LockbowSociety,
Sweden

[Matchlock]

Hi Micke,


Great stuff, thank you so much!

I remembered the Livrustkammaren reserve collection!

It is especially astonishing to see the wooden bow and the crossbow that looks as if it were yet as early as ca. 1400, which of course it is not!

The bow decoration of the crossbow in post #149 much resembles that of a Romanian crossbow in the museum of Bukarest; see post #6.


Please hang on, Micke!
This thread achieved a remarkable number of views which proves that our work is much appreciated out there!


Best,
Michael