A German Renaissance crossbow with lavish bone inlays featuring hunting motifs, circa 1580

Title
A German Renaissance crossbow with lavish bone inlays featuring hunting motifs, circa 1580
HCA Identifier
HHA834405
Collection Location
Private collection
Description
A German crossbow with lavish bone inlays featuring hunting motifs dating to circa 1580. It features a steel prod with a mark embedded into the inside of the right of the prod. This mark showcases a wheel with a sun burst. Attached to the prod is a braided bow string made of hemp and at the fore of the crossbow is a suspension ring and one green woolen pompom on the right side. The stock is made of fruitwood and features engraved inlays of bone. The sides of the stock are ornately decorated with detailed hunting scenes illustrating hunters with their hounds chasing down a wild boar and stag. The crossbow features a single axis nut made of bone and secured with a thread. There is an iron trigger guard. At the butt of the prod is a concave cheek rest, and there are likely repairs to the bone inlay. On the underside of the crossbow are the engraved letters “MCVI”
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Data and images courtesy of
Hermann Historica
Item sets
Hermann Historica