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Title
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Flemish Crossbow, 18th-19th Century
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Collection Location
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Unknown (private sale)
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Date
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Likely made in the 18th or early 19th century, in the style of the 16th-17th centuries.
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Location
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Flanders
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Description
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This crossbow has a brass bolt groove in the topside of the stock. Below it, bow irons secure the iron prod to the stock. The iron prod is stamped with an ox’s head and bears the words “BÜNGEN SOHLINGEN.” The stock is made of walnut wood. A support continuous with the stock protrudes below the catch area. The stock is decorated with plates of brass, often cut into decorative shapes. Such decoratively cut brass plates appear around the catch on the sides of the stock. There are also small plates that lie behind the nut area on the top of the stock.
The trigger system is neither depicted in the photo nor discussed by Thierry de Maigret, but the trigger guard is. The trigger guard is made of iron.
The butt of the crossbow has a brass cap.
The overall form of the crossbow - plain wooden stock with elaborate metalwork, a wooden support or “foot” protruding downwards, and a narrow and plain butt - is typical of Flanders. This crossbow emulates the style of the 16th and 17th centuries, but was likely made in the 18th or early 19th century.
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Source
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Thierry de Maigret Commissaire-Priseur [Thierry de Maigret Auctioneer]
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Crossbow Top Measurements
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Length: 93.5 cm
Width: 61 cm
