Bow and arrows from ?

Congoblades · 27th August 2006, 03:29 PM

I found this bow and arrows this morning on a fleemarket. It's made of some kind of bamboo, the arrowpoints are forged. I doesn't look african to me. It looks old and used but could also be some touristic thing.
The bow is 122 mm and the arrows 65 mm long.
Any idee about origin and or age?

Flavio · 27th August 2006, 03:54 PM

Hi Congoblades, a very beautiful bow and arrows!!! No touristic stuff at all!!! I see on the book "Waffen aus Zentral Afrika" and i have attached a picture of an arrow that seems like yours: on the book is called Manyeme (see map). For the bow you can see on this site:

http://anthro.amnh.org/anthro.html

you can see many bows on the section

African Ethnographic Collection

and than digit the word bow. I think that is congolese for the way the cord (it's sinew?) is attached to the bow, but anyway take a look. Congratulations

Flavio · 27th August 2006, 03:58 PM

Also this is Manyema

Congoblades · 27th August 2006, 04:14 PM

The seller mentioned Indonesia? but on a fleemarket they enything wrong or wright, is this possible? Indonesia?

Flavio, the "cord" is also from bamboo, just the ends are attached with a cord on the bow.
I have many arrows from africa but never made of bamboo, maybe there are such from africa but I didn't see any so far

Katana, I dare not stretch the bow, maybe it will break, otherwice I would give it a try

Flavio · 27th August 2006, 04:28 PM

Congoblades, the two that i have posted they have the shaft made of reed. Maybe yours is not bamboo, but simple cane? Anyway many arrows in Africa show shaft made of cane. Also could be that the bow and the arrows came from different parts of the world, and more, could be that both aren't african because, since a bow is strictly related to the function that it has, the material and the shape could be very close in distant and different parts of world.

Congoblades · 27th August 2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flavio

Congoblades, the two that i have posted they have the shaft made of reed. Maybe yours is not bamboo, but simple cane? Anyway many arrows in Africa show shaft made of cane. Also could be that the bow and the arrows came from different parts of the world, and more, could be that both aren't african because, since a bow is strictly related to the function that it has, the material and the shape could be very close in distant and different parts of world.

Flavio, a better look at the cord tells me it is the same matirial as the bow, same structure and olso the same bulges, typical for bamboo.
Reed and cane, translating these gives me the same answer for both?
Greets Guy

Flavio · 27th August 2006, 04:56 PM

Yeah, Congo, cane and reed are the same (Phragmites communis = Arundo phragmites). The plants that grow along the rivers or in the swampy zones

utami · 30th August 2006, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Congoblades

The seller mentioned Indonesia? but on a fleemarket they enything wrong or wright, is this possible? Indonesia?

Hei, conggo. Pretty bow & arrow you have

.

I had seen the bow from Kalimantan, papua, Sunda.
Thought by me your bow was different did not come from this area.

Hope this help.

Congoblades · 30th August 2006, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utami

Hei, conggo. Pretty bow & arrow you have

.

I had seen the bow from Kalimantan, papua, Sunda.
Thought by me your bow was different did not come from this area.

Hope this help.

Thanks, now I know where it not came from

katana · 27th August 2006, 04:00 PM

Hi Congoblades,
I think you are probably right that the bow and arrows are not African. The arrowheads are very interesting.... the forged heads seem a little unusual (for Africa, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are) in their design. The heads look to be to heavy for the length of arrow shaft and fletching. Because of the barbs are quite large and would affect the trajectory/path of the arrow, the fletchings (feathers) are usually larger to counteract this ...so as to help stabilise its (the arrows) flight. The size of heads and design suggests their use is to hunt larger animals.....or perhaps they are 'war' arrows.
Although bamboo is a good material to use for the bow, I feel that it is not thick enough to give enough power to send these arrows too far. This suggests that you could get close to your prey......so the type of terrain would probably be woodland, forest, jungle etc. .....if hunting.

Unfortunately, photos only tell part of the story........you really need to 'handle' these things to get a proper sense of a weight, power of the bow etc.

I really like these sort of items.......I especially like the arrowheads you posted.....Sorry I cant give you a 'proper' answer.......just a few observations which may or may not help.

Hi Flavio, what good information.......but notice the relative length of the arrows......Congoblades are much shorter, head design....very similar.

27th August 2006, 03:29 PM	#1
Congoblades Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Belgium Posts: 171	Bow and arrows from ? I found this bow and arrows this morning on a fleemarket. It's made of some kind of bamboo, the arrowpoints are forged. I doesn't look african to me. It looks old and used but could also be some touristic thing. The bow is 122 mm and the arrows 65 mm long. Any idee about origin and or age? Attached Images

27th August 2006, 03:54 PM	#2
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Hi Congoblades, a very beautiful bow and arrows!!! No touristic stuff at all!!! I see on the book "Waffen aus Zentral Afrika" and i have attached a picture of an arrow that seems like yours: on the book is called Manyeme (see map). For the bow you can see on this site: http://anthro.amnh.org/anthro.html you can see many bows on the section African Ethnographic Collection and than digit the word bow. I think that is congolese for the way the cord (it's sinew?) is attached to the bow, but anyway take a look. Congratulations Attached Images

27th August 2006, 03:58 PM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Also this is Manyema Attached Images

27th August 2006, 04:56 PM	#7
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Yeah, Congo, cane and reed are the same (Phragmites communis = Arundo phragmites). The plants that grow along the rivers or in the swampy zones Attached Images

27th August 2006, 04:14 PM	#4
Congoblades Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Belgium Posts: 171	The seller mentioned Indonesia? but on a fleemarket they enything wrong or wright, is this possible? Indonesia? Flavio, the "cord" is also from bamboo, just the ends are attached with a cord on the bow. I have many arrows from africa but never made of bamboo, maybe there are such from africa but I didn't see any so far Katana, I dare not stretch the bow, maybe it will break, otherwice I would give it a try

27th August 2006, 04:28 PM	#5
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Congoblades, the two that i have posted they have the shaft made of reed. Maybe yours is not bamboo, but simple cane? Anyway many arrows in Africa show shaft made of cane. Also could be that the bow and the arrows came from different parts of the world, and more, could be that both aren't african because, since a bow is strictly related to the function that it has, the material and the shape could be very close in distant and different parts of world.

27th August 2006, 04:00 PM	#10
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Hi Congoblades, I think you are probably right that the bow and arrows are not African. The arrowheads are very interesting.... the forged heads seem a little unusual (for Africa, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are) in their design. The heads look to be to heavy for the length of arrow shaft and fletching. Because of the barbs are quite large and would affect the trajectory/path of the arrow, the fletchings (feathers) are usually larger to counteract this ...so as to help stabilise its (the arrows) flight. The size of heads and design suggests their use is to hunt larger animals.....or perhaps they are 'war' arrows. Although bamboo is a good material to use for the bow, I feel that it is not thick enough to give enough power to send these arrows too far. This suggests that you could get close to your prey......so the type of terrain would probably be woodland, forest, jungle etc. .....if hunting. Unfortunately, photos only tell part of the story........you really need to 'handle' these things to get a proper sense of a weight, power of the bow etc. I really like these sort of items.......I especially like the arrowheads you posted.....Sorry I cant give you a 'proper' answer.......just a few observations which may or may not help. Hi Flavio, what good information.......but notice the relative length of the arrows......Congoblades are much shorter, head design....very similar.