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Title
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Bronze Crossbow Mechanism
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Collection Location
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National Museum of China
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Date
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Three Kingdoms period, Wei Dynasty (220-266CE)
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Location
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Wei Kingdom (territory covers modern day Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, northern Hubei, and central Liaoning)
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Description
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This bronze crossbow mechanism held by the National Museum of China is dated to the Wei Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms period. It was unearthed within Wei Kingdom territory.
The mechanism comprises the typical parts of a Chinese crossbow mechanism. The component that protrudes from the top of the mechanism is the wangshan (望山), which functions as a sight. Unseen in the image but a part of the same component is the ya (牙), which is a second, shorter protrusion in front of the wangshan that serves as the nut that holds the crossbow string in place when cocked. The component protruding from the bottom right of the mechanism is the trigger, or xuandao (悬刀), and within the rectangular bronze casing, or guo (郭) is a third component called the gouxin (钩心), or the sear which connects the trigger and the nut. The top surface of the bronze casing has a groove that goes down the middle of its top surface which would continue onto the wooden stock of the crossbow. This groove would be where the arrow rests during drawing and aiming. The mechanism is held together by two axles visible from the outside of the casing.
The name of the craftsmen who crafted the mechanism as well as the date of creation has been etched onto the mechanism. The museum description provides no clear information about what these details are, but it references the year 241CE in its description. During this period, the Wei, Shu Han, and Wu kingdoms were at war, and the Wei kingdom boasted both great manpower and technology. Crossbows by this time in the Wei kingdom were manufactured by government offices called shangfang (尚方), one office handled the crafting of the bronze components in the mechanism, and another handled the body of the crossbow itself, with an inspector supervising the overall crafting process.
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Source
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National Museum of China
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Crossbow Top Measurements
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Length: 11.9cm
