Some interesting ancient Indian bows on youtube

PjSingh · Post by **PjSingh** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:55 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nMbinjBaRE

JJ · Post by JJ » Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:10 pm

Very interesting, PJ!

The first one seems to be a scythian bow, but it is held by the archer in an awkward way - presumably because the artist wanted to fit the whole bow, which is too big anyway, into the tiny coin.

Following are hunic/sassanidic bow types.

JJ

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:00 am

There are several references repeated through Greek literature of archers with long bows who shot them by putting the lower limb tip on the ground and placing the foot on it to draw the bow. The most likely explanation for this idea is that Greek soldiers saw archers bracing self bows before shooting and assumed it was all one action. At a distance this could easily be confused.

There was a strong Hellenistic influence on early Indian coins well into the Gupta period. The first coin could represent a Greek artisan's attempt to reproduce this idea and also adding small recurves to a bamboo long bow in the process.

Zoran Pavlovic · Post by **Zoran Pavlovic** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:18 am

Bede,
some bow form also appears in later, byzantine and ''mediteranean'' art too.E.g. bow at the coin no.4 (and also 6) in this clip. I don't know if i can express myself in English but this is bow with the grip that looks flat, without ''set back'' look or any reflex. I was always curious how did they get this form.
Best regards,

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:30 am

If anybody interesting old "archery" coins here was in better resolution http://atarn.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t ... c&start=75

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:15 am

If I understand you correctly, are you talking about the bows with straight handles which the limbs are attached at an angle?

If so, this bow handle is very common and you will find many examples of it on this site. The design was used from China to the Roman empire for most of the first millennium. Antler plates in the form of trapeziums were found in many places where the bows were used.

Zoran Pavlovic · Post by **Zoran Pavlovic** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:28 pm

Bede wrote:If I understand you correctly, are you talking about the bows with straight handles which the limbs are attached at an angle?

If so, this bow handle is very common and you will find many examples of it on this site. The design was used from China to the Roman empire for most of the first millennium. Antler plates in the form of trapeziums were found in many places where the bows were used.

Yes, Bede, that's it. I will search ATARN for more informations.Anyway,thank you.

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:12 am

There just happens to be a pair of them in a box behind my chair here. North China, around 1000-1100CE.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:44 am

Stephen,
These are belly side grip reinforcement plates. Are they straight or do they kick back at the beginning of the wider sections?

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 1:59 am

Yes, belly side. There was no reinforcement on the back: just belly and sides. No they are quite straight. I think they are made of horse or cattle cannon bone.

Zoran Pavlovic · Post by **Zoran Pavlovic** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:16 pm

Stephen and Bede,
Have you ever had idea which way limbs were attached at an angle on some straight handle? Was there some ''chock'' to hold the limb or there's some other way of attaching (or craftsman did reflex/deflex of the limbs leaving grip portion straight

). Really have no idea.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:23 am

From what I can tell, one technique was to cut the handle and limbs in one piece (or two joined at the hand with a slanting joint) and then shave away the belly side to thin out the limbs. The next step was to put in a slight bend towards the back were the handle faded out with heat. Then the horn strips were glued on with the limbs bent a little farther back. The normal reflexing when the sinew was applied accomplished the rest.

Even though the horn could be thinned out at the transition to the full thickness of the handle, it would still serve to hold the reflex in place. This is not the only way to do it, but it should work, I think.

Zoran Pavlovic · Post by **Zoran Pavlovic** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:25 pm

Bede,
It is nice explaination and perhaps this is most easiest way of making this sort of bow.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:51 am

I think it is worth trying out. Some of the old bows have an extra strip glued on the belly side of each tip section before the antler side pieces are glued on.

I think the Qum Darya bow also had a separate horn strip on the belly side of the tips and the main belly horn strip partly overlaid it.

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:11 am

Zoran Pavlovic wrote:Stephen and Bede,
Have you ever had idea which way limbs were attached at an angle on some straight handle? Was there some ''chock'' to hold the limb or there's some other way of attaching (or craftsman did reflex/deflex of the limbs leaving grip portion straight ).

I think one approach was to produce an extended, carved core in two parts, joined at the grip with a splice like this:

This is also a usefl X-ray. Note that the splice seems to be in the x-y plane here instead of the x-z plane.

S