This Flemish target crossbow is dated to approximately the late 17th and 18th centuries. It possesses a steel bow running through the stock that is fastened in place with iron plates. The back of the prod is marked with the imagery of three stars. Connected to the front of the prod is a worn iron stirrup used as a footing for spanning the crossbow that has bent into a heart-like shape over time. The string is not original to the crossbow and is a later addition. The stock is made from walnut wood and features a rest that widens from the bottom side of the crossbow into a flared stand. At the top side of the stock is a bolt groove plated with brass that spans out to the middle of the stock, all the way to the metal nut and the sides of the stock’s middle that reinforce the area. The nut is also a later addition, not original to the crossbow. The butt of the crossbow is encased with brass metal and features an adjustable rest made of steel with some damage, while the trigger guard is made of brass. Stock measurement: 96.0 cm

A 16th-century German sporting crossbow that is dated to the year 1587. Its prod is made of steel and features an ornate decoration in a grid style with small painted flowers across the intersections of the grid. The prod is secured to the stock with a bridle made of twisted cord. Along the prod and upper half of the stock are twelve green woollen pompoms. The shape of the stock is bulbous towards its middle (around the nut) and tapers towards the butt of the stock, with much of its surface veneered in staghorn. The crossbow is also inlaid with staghorn at its sides, depicting scenes of a man hunting in the woods in front of a castle with hounds, multiple woodland creatures and intricate floral designs throughout the scene. The decorations also showcase a coat of arms from a person in the Princes Salm family (likely belonging to the original owner of the crossbow), imagery of a young couple, a scene depicting a serpent being killed by St. Michael, and a scene of a fencing dual depicting Joachim Meyer, a 16th century German fencer and author from his book the Art of Combat, uncommon and unusual detail. Further imagery includes scroll decorations that frame the scenes, such as the pair of sea monsters, the Roman goddess Ceres (the goddess of agriculture and fertility), and the date engraved around the opening for the cocking pin of the crossbow. The crossbow features a rolling nut mechanism made of bone with a horn bolt clip above the nut. Behind the bolt clip is an adjustable gilded copper back-sight and a transverse pin made of iron. On the crossbow, there is a gilded copper plate with an engraved German phrase ‘ehrlich zu leben und selig zu sterben’ that translates as “to live honestly, to die in blessedness”. There is also a gilded copper plaque on both the top side and the butt of the stock that was repaired during the time of its original use. The trigger of the crossbow is made of iron and is wrapped in leather, showing some minor damage. There are signs of restoration on the crossbow, possibly from the 17th century, and it is speculated to have improved upon parts of the crossbow, including the woollen pompoms, the bolt clip, the gilded copper fittings, and a repaint of the prod.

A German Rustung crossbow replica that is dated to the 20th century and made to replicate the 16th century style. The crossbow consists of a steel prod attached to the crossbow in the notch of the stock’s fore end, but missing the hemp cord bridle that would secure it to the stock. The string made of twisted cord is still intact. The material of the stock is made of wood and is veneered in staghorn on its top and bottom sides. At the butt of the stock is a hollowed-out cheek rest that is concave on the left side, made for a right-handed user. Both the rolling nut, nut thread, and transverse pin are missing from the crossbow. Stock measurement: 84 cm

A target crossbow of Northern European origin. It consists of a wooden stock made from walnut and a steel prod that is secured to the middle of the crossbow stock with iron plates. The string on the prod is not original to the crossbow but is instead a later addition. The butt of the stock has a chequered or fish scale pattern grip above the trigger and features an intricate floral carving. The fore of the stock contains an adjustable front-sight and rear-sight. The trigger mechanism of the crossbow is a double set trigger with a molded trigger guard. Measurements: 102.5 cm overall

This German crossbow is classified as a Halbe Rüstung crossbow and is dated to the year 1586. It features a blackened steel prod secured to the stock with a twisted cord bridle. Around the prod and the upper portion of the stock are a series of eight green woollen pompoms, and along the fore end of the prod are the engraved letters ‘JHC’. The string of the bow is made of a plant material, while the stock itself is made from wood and veneered in staghorn along its top and bottom sides. The top side of the crossbow possesses ornate decorations, such as the engraved date of 1586, floral engravings, and a small panel of checkerboard patterns. The bottom side of the crossbow features scrollwork with designs of fruit bouquets, an image of the Roman goddess of fortune, and an opening for the loading rod. The sides of the crossbow stock feature intricate decorations of staghorn inlays that depict a hunting scene with a huntsman and hounds and scrolling tendrils at the top and bottom of these scenes. These decorations possess minor damage with cracks that have since been repaired. The crossbow also contains a rolling nut and bolt clip made of bone. Behind the nut is an iron-rear sight and an iron transverse pin used to support a cranequin spanning device. The trigger of the crossbow is made of iron and wrapped in cord, and there is a folding trigger that appears to be an older replacement. Toward the butt of the crossbow is a concave cheek rest. Stock measurement: 62.3 cm

This crossbow features a steel prod strung with a wire string attached to a slide. This walnut stock is shaped with ergonomically shaped grip and capped off with a large curved aluminum butt plate. This bow is operated off of a internal sliding mechanism controlled by a trigger. A front rail and back rail both have attachment points, but no attachment. Hermann Historica notes that it includes 35 bolts (one broken) and a spare string, and weights 6.20 kg.

This crossbow is fitted with heavy, bolted down steel prod strung with hemp string. The square wooden stock features a transverse pin for the rack and pinion winch or cranequin. The top of the bow is lined with iron fittings screwed into the bow. The bow locks the string with a brass nut connected to an axle rather than string, controlled by a folding iron trigger, and a solid iron trigger guard with a rounded end. Hermann Historica notes that included, for decorative purposes, is a new wooden bolt with an iron tip, 29 cm long. This crossbow continued to be used in the 20th century; during its period of use, the steel bow, string, iron bolt rest, and nut were replaced with functionally and stylistically appropriate replacements due to wear and tear. Such weapons, the size of a suit of armor, were used by Rhenish shooting fraternities, such as those in Jülich or Herzogenrath, for long-range target shooting.

A bullet crossbow of English origin, originally belonging to an ancestral Northumbrian family. The prod of the crossbow is made of steel, set securely within the upper middle portion of the stock. At the fore of the prod is an adjustable foresight which retains a U-shape, and towards the back is a foldable backsight. The string of the crossbow is made from a twisted plant material and possesses a pocket or cradle at the center of the cord for the pellets. The wooden stock is ornately decorated, featuring intricate staghorn, mother-of-pearl, and plaques of copper alloy inlays throughout all sides of the stock. The engraved decorations depict images of hunting scenes, with animals such as hares, hounds, and exotic birds. The scene features intricate decorations with curling tendrils of vine-like patterns and leaves in green coloured horn. At the top side of the stock is a bolt channel, bordered by detailed decorations of a rope pattern made from mother-of-pearl. The crossbow also features an iron gaffle—a lever for drawing back the crossbow—secured with a transverse pin that passes through the stock. The area surrounding the pin is reinforced with iron plates at the side of the stock, lined with silver. The release button, an older replacement, is missing its catch and retains minor damage. The butt of the stock possesses a horn inlay that retains minor damage and repairs. Stock Measurement: 77.2 cm

This children's crossbow features a conical (surface-rusted) steel bow, attached with wedged rope rather than a bridle. It is strung with loose hemp rope. The shaped wooden stock has a metal suspension ring attached to the front through riveting, and operated with an iron folding catch lock. The brass bolt clip is low-rised and the bolt groove is worn out. The trigger is protected bt the small trigger guard, and the bow is capped off with a shaped cheek rest and an iron butt cap.

This bow is operated with a heavy, forged steel prod with yellow-green lacquer over the prod, and wrapped with a braided safety cord with six green wool pompoms. The prod is secured by hemp cord bridling (which has traces of gilding) alongside an iron suspension ring in the front. strung with knotted hemp string the fruitwood stock is inlaid with bone strips. The nut spins on a cord, also known as nussfaden, secured with a multi-axle lock, connected to a folding trigger protected by an iron trigger guard. The bow also has a transverse pin, for the cranequin to interface with. Attached along the original crossbow is a cranequin, unknown if it was the original. Hermann Historica notes that this original crossbow in the style of the late Renaissance is in untouched as-found condition, apparently used for a long time at a German shooting club. The originally gilt lashing and the green pompoms indicate Saxony as place of production and use.

This crossbow feature a sturdy steel prod with bevelled edges, the manufacturer's mark, a wheel, stamped on the right inner surface (Stöckel, vol. 2, nos. 6448 - 6453) with braided, greenish safety cord on the outside with six greenish woollen pompons, secured with loose bridling alongside a suspension ring. Many additional small wires is holding up the suspension ring, suggesting fragility. The prod is strung with thick braided cord. This fruitwood stock has the top and bottom veneered with bone inlays (engraved with blackened tendrils, bunches of fruit and birds), lavish inlays of engraved bone on the sides (cartouches with hares, deer, birds of prey etc., surrounded by scrollwork, tendrils and flowers), and capped off with a smooth, bone butt cap. A bolt bridge can be seen laterally inserted on the side. The folding sight is adjustable laterally and for height as well. The bow is operated by the revolving nut, which is made of antler, moving on a cord pivot, or nussfaden (nut string). Running off of a multi-axle lock with hair set trigger, it is protected with a smooth trigger guard. Several lock components and the lug for the rack-and-pinion cranequin are adorned with decorative gilt etching. Hermann Historica notes that this bow is lavishly embellished, late Renaissance crossbow of a high, courtly calibre, only very rarely found in this quality. Provenance: Schulthess collection.

This bolt crossbow features a cord-wrapped steel prod with braided hemp string secured onto the front with large bolted metal reinforcing plates alongside a screwed in suspension ring and green wool pompoms at the ends of the prod and both sides. The walnut stock features floral carvings throughout the whole bow, and many metal components such as the raised bolt bridge, catch and bolt clip. A dark horn bolt rest lines the top of the bow, and it is operated with the metal catch, which is disengaged in the current photo, as well as the hair and set triggers within the curved trigger guard with a bead at the end.