Hunting Crossbow and Cranequin Winder

Title

Hunting Crossbow and Cranequin Winder

Collection Location

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada

Date

c.1560-1575

Location

Germany

Description

The crossbow has a steel bow and a walnut stock with ivory inlay, depicting motifs of animals and hunter with flowers creeping up the stock on the side, common in German Renaissance crossbows. The butt stock depicts a couple of old men picking flowers. There are more ornate engravings surrounding the trigger mechanism and thumb rest. The string appears to be made of horn. There is a steel chord tied near the buts as a binding thread. A cranequin winder is attached to the crossbow to span the bow belonging to the same century. The crossbowman would put is foot in the stirrup and crank the windlass to trigger the pulley mechanism.

Source

Royal Ontario Museum

Link:

https://collections.rom.on.ca/objects/508641/hunting-crossbow-and-cranequin-winder;jsessionid=9FFCF24F2DC9949ADA173746FD31A3CE?ctx=793b95cf025f96aaaad8b37261f6677d4bba4478&idx=9

Crossbow Top Measurements

61.5 x 63.5 cm