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Title
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Italian Stonebow
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HCA Identifier
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M.162-1921
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Date
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ca. 1550
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Location
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Italy
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Description
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This Italian Stonebow would have likely been used in the later half of the sixteenth century by nobles for hunting. This example in particular is remarkable for its intricate carving and gold damascening. The stock of the crossbow is extremely slender and forged from ebony. Along the entire length of the stock is ornamented with highly detailed carvings described by the Victoria and Albert Museum to be dolphins, masks, grotesques and foliage. The butt end of the stock demonstrates the use of a wood turning technique seen in furniture making, creating a wider rounded end with repeating bumps. Located just behind the trigger, a three dimensional grotesque carved of ebony is placed on the top of the stock. The steel hardware used for the trigger, the mounts, the transverse pin and rear sight are damascened (overlaid) in gold and feature an engraved abstracted design consistent with the style of the other carvings. On various parts of the stock including the carved grotesque and the u-shaped portion of the stock, signs of wear can be observed through a lightening of the wood, revealing a reddish hue.
This stonebow was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1921 from the David Currie Bequest. It was previously part of the Spitzer Collection and may have been restored.
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Source
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Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington
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Crossbow Top Measurements
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Height: 10.25cm
Width: 35.8cm
Depth: 74.4cm
Weight: 0.52kg
