A model arrow

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:17 pm

I found this iron arrow last week in Beijing.

28 cm long, probably a toy or a part of a sculpture.

Cute isn't it ?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 7:31 am

There were iron darts for shooting out of metal arrow guides, but they had normal feathers and often had no nocks. It is cute.

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:40 am

Interesting!

Is that triple fletching? And are those marks on the shaft to make it look like bamboo? And the shaft is iron, right? Not bronze?

I am thinking of the model arrows that accompanied the Qin bronze chariot burials...

S.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:20 am

Triple fletching indeed.

The circular grooves on the shaft might represent bamboo nodes or a kind of decoration.

The whole thing is one piece iron, it's probably not as old as Qin dynasty.

The nock is really thin and made to scale, it could only accomodate too thin a string to propel such a heavy bolt.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:41 pm

Close up view.

You can see the tiny nock.

The "feathers" seem to be forged and not welded afterwards.

Tiny spiral marks can be seen on the shaft in front of the feather. The fletching was "wrapped with a thread".

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:11 am

It may be part of a model bow and arrow set called 'xilimama' in Xibe/Manchu, which was hung up when a son was born as a lucky talisman. I have found very nice model bows on the market, but not the arrows. I gave the one I bought to the Xibe archery museum in Chapchal.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:57 am

Thanks for the info Stephen.

Would you happen to have a picture of one of these bow models ? Would they be at a compatible scale with my arrow ? (roughly 1/3)

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:05 am

My model was about 25cm tip to tip in polished steel. The string was twisted steel and gave the impression of a real, gut string. All the original decoration of the bow was shown engraved on the steel. I'm afraid I don't have a photo of it.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:30 am

too bad you did not keep at least a picture of it. I'll be on the look-out if ever I see one for sale.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:30 am

On the last saturday before the Chinese New Year, I saw a tibetan (I think) silver model of a horn bow.

Tiny (about 15 cm), cute, it was part of a set comprising around a dozen big silver spoons with various weapon-like handles. A worn leather pouch was supposed to hold everything together in a tight bundle.

The spoons did not match the style of the bow too much but the seller insisted that the set was not to be separated and that I had to buy the whole lot (there were no model arrows in it).

As the price was estimated at 20.000 CNY, I declined.