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Title
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Gold-plated Crossbow Mechanism Casing
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Collection Location
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Shanghai Museum
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Date
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121CE
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Location
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China
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Description
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This crossbow mechanism casing held by the Shanghai museum is dated to 121CE. Its specific location of unearthing is not listed.
This mechanism casing, or guo (郭) is made of bronze and it would usually hold most of the typical parts of a Chinese crossbow mechanism. This specimen is missing its sight and nut, or wangshan (望山) and ya (牙); its trigger, or xuandao (悬刀); its sear, or gouxin (钩心), which would have connected the sight and nut and the trigger; and its two bronze axle pins which would have held the mechanism together within the guo. The top surface of the bronze casing has a groove that goes down the middle which would continue onto the wooden stock of the crossbow. This groove would be where the arrow rests during drawing and aiming.
The top surface of the bronze casing is gold-plated with slight corrosion on the edges and in the groove. It is uncertain if the mechanism was originally fully gold-plated and subsequently corroded, or if only the top surface was plated in the first place. There is engraved text on the side of the casing that dates this mechanism to the first year of the Jianguang reign title, which corresponds to the year 121CE
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Source
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Shanghai Museum
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Crossbow Top Measurements
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Measurements not provided
