Late Gothic Crossbows and Accouterments

[fernando]

Magnificent !!!

[Matchlock]

Thank you, 'Nando!

The zooms were sent to me by Peter just to inform me.

Best,
Michl

[Matchlock]

Some period artwork, a South German woodcut of 1513.

Best,
Michael

[fernando]

A few images of early crossbows.

1 - Hunting with a XII century crossbow. The bow was already of the composite type. The stock is very short, so that the shooter had to extend his arm to aim. At the Lisbon National Archives.
2 - Crossbowman at rest. First half XVI century. At the National Museum of Antique Art.
3 - No ID.
4 - No ID.
5 - A Portuguese crossbowman. One of the famous bronzes of Benin(Dahomey). Mid XV century. 40 cms. high. The care taken by the artist in the details is notable, to the extent of clearly showing the "armatoste" (arming device) hanging from from the soldier's waist.
6 - "Caça de boi" (hunting with ox). So called because the hunter hides behind a structure covered with an ox skin, to easier approach the game. A tile panel in the São Vicente de Fora Monastery. First half XVIII century.

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[Matchlock]

Thank you so much for contributing this period artwork, 'Nando!

Best,
Michl

[Matchlock]

Some interesting illustrations from an Alamanic or Swiss manuscript, ca. 1430.

Best,
Michael

[Swordfish]

A gothic crossbow with horn bow dating c. 1430-1460.
This crossbow failed to sell at an auction some years ago, because it was wrongly described as Scandinavian dating c. 1500.
A few years later I saw it in a private collection, where I took the photo.
In this collection was also another crossbow of typical central European shape with a tiller made of fruit-wood and a spanning-hook at the upper side.
Both crossbows had identical (really identical, not only similar) elements:
The strongly reflex horn-bow, the stirrup, the cord binding and the trigger lever. Therefore both crossbows must have been made by the same maker or in the same wokshop. This workshop was in South-Tyrol. This is proofed by an exhibition label on the bow inscibed by hand with No. XII and with a latin text stating that this cossbow was was once in the collection of Castle Rodeneck (South-Tyrol),and dated 11.April 1891.
The crossbow on the photo is a somewhat simlpler version than the usually known ones. The tiller is made of more durable oak, the side plates are iron sheets instead of less durable horn plates. The only decoration are the horn plates on the upper side. The spanning- hook is on the bottom side, probably for a cord-puller, as can be seen on Italian paintings of the period.
While the horn inlaid crossbows with fruit-wood tillers can be described as all purpose crossbows suitable for sporting, hunting and war, the crossbow on the photo is surely only for one purpose. It is a war-crossbow.