-
Title
-
Hunting crossbow with cranequin
-
HCA Identifier
-
ARB-2006-001-1 and ARB-2006-001-2
-
Collection Location
-
Périgord, southern France
-
Date
-
c. 16th-17th century (restored in the 19th-20th century)
-
Location
-
Germanic
-
Description
-
Hunting crossbow with a trigger mechanism incorporating contemporary restorations. The steel bow is decorated with 4 red pompoms, which are held in place on the stock by ropes and wedges. The upper part of the crossbow is entirely covered with nailed bone plates. The rest of the stock is decorated with circular bone inlays of two different diameters, which have white spots like a deer, suggesting it's function as a hunting crossbow. The stock incorporates a turned bone nut, which may be modern given the condition of its steel insert. This nut is held in place by an exposed nussfaden. Above this nut, a relatively modern safety catch has been added to protect it. The trigger is partially covered with a waxed cord, potentially for better grip. There is a second retractable trigger, as well as a pin/bolt that is clearly intended to hold part of the mechanism in place. A metal pin attached to a cord allows the mechanism to be reset via a hole in the stock.
The cranequin is attached to the crossbow using rope and a metal pin that passes through the stock. The bone-handled crank, which hooks onto the crossbow's string, is used to wind up the notched bar. It ends in a hook decorated with engraved foliage. The end of the notched bar is engraved with the letters “IW”.
The removable cranequin, placed on top of the crossbow and attached to a metal pin passing through the stock, is used to cock the steel bow reducing the strength needed from the user. The hook on the notched bar catches the string and the crank is then used to turn the cogwheel inside the cranequin, gradually pulling back the bar, which bends the bow by pulling on the string, resulting in a lighter crank than draw weight.
Materials: crossbow: wood, steel, string (fiber unknown), bone, wool
Cranequin: steel, string (fiber unknown), and bone
-
Source
-
Château de Castelnaud
-
Link:
-
Data and images courtesy of:
https://castelnaud.omeka.net/items/show/3
-
Crossbow Top Measurements
-
62 cm (length)
-
Crossbow Side Measurements
-
55.5 cm (width of the bow)
