Here is a bow with a maker's mark

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:02 am

Here is a bow with a maker's mark: ?shunhe"

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:07 am

Holding the centre is the cowhhide , and the both sides are skin of fishs , and with the side is the sun and the moon , another side is the bat .

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:11 am

The transparent horn piece of amber colour

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:12 am

This bow seems to be from Xi'an or Chengdu. Is that correct?

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:28 am

The transparent horn piece of amber colour

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:32 am

The transparent horn piece of amber colour , and possesses drawing

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:39 am

The signature of ?Shunhe?

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:44 am

The transparent horn piece of amber colour , and possesses drawing

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:29 am

1：" the Qing Dynasty " imperial court makes the shop of bow in times to the signature of Shunhe 。
2：The transparent horn piece of amber colour , and possesses drawing。
3：Holding the centre is the cowhhide , and the both sides are skin of fishs , and with the side is the sun and the moon , another side is the bat . And at the skin of fish while on pastes the golden peach skin , this is fairly rarer . The hook of the both sides of bow , same the parcel skin of fish
4：The cushion of chord is made with the padauk . The parcel of birch bark is careful , and completely are 5 millimeters of wide strip form barks .

How are you Mr.xie , and this bow is found in " Shandong "

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:43 am

That is a good looking bow. I assume that the painting under the horn may have weakened the bond between the horn and the bamboo core. I think a bow maker would have to be very skilled to make a bow like this that performed reasonably.

Ray Cover · Post by **Ray Cover** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:23 am

The fish skin looks like stingray rawhide. Is that correct?

Ray

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:39 am

Thank to the concern of Ray Cover and Bede !
Call pearl fish or shark fish in China .

Ray Cover · Post by **Ray Cover** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:34 pm

Is this the same type of fish hide used to underwrap sword handles in Japan and China?

The patterns of round dots look like it is. The reason I ask is I had thought of using it to back a bow in the past and leave the rows of spikes raised rather than sanding them flat.

I did not know if this type of skin would work for backing but apparently it will.

Ray

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:43 pm

The Japanese used same for sword hilt covering. Same comes from the skin of a skate which is the relative of rays.

In China, various types of fish skin were used on bows and sword and knife scabbards. It is generally thinner than the same used in Japan and has more even denticle size. The denticles are the tooth like projections of the skin which form the circular pattern of the polished skin.

In Northern Manchuria in the time of the Qing, some tribes made clothing out of tanned salmon skin. In the Amur river, there was a sturgeon fishery and sturgeom was another fish that had a decorative skin used for sword handles.

Ray Cover · Post by **Ray Cover** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 12:25 am

Bede,

I was considering making a bow with same rawhide backing and leaving the center ridge of spikes raised. It would look absolutely wicked even if it would be a bit unconfortable to shove under your arm to walk downrange.

I don't know how the unsanded same would act as a backing though. Thats why I perked up when I saw the picutres. The little circle patterns on the bow look like sanded skate or ray.

Ray