Han Crossbow with Leaf-spring Prods

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:49 am

I thought you might like this pottery model that I bought in Hong Kong some time back.

The Han and Warring States crossbow stocks and images generally support the idea that crossbow prods were made with bamboo in leaf-spring mode. Only the Qin bronze chariot contradicts.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon May 22, 2006 1:45 pm

Stephen,
I would have thought the opposite was true. Most of the reliefs and pottery figures I have seen illustrated and in person show bows that appear composite in construction. They often have set back centres and recurved tips. I am thinking particularly of pottery model watch towers that were sometimes placed in tombs.

That doesn't mean that bamboo bows weren't common, but they don't appear in the military context. Sichuan also had many minority inhabitants at the time of the Western Han Dynasty.

The cost advantage of the bamboo bow must have made it attractive, but the draw would have been limited unless the bow was long and unwieldy.

The figure is wearing an interesting hat and carrying the bow in a particularly unsafe manner, but that might have been more common that we think.

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:36 am

The figure is wearing an interesting hat and carrying the bow in a particularly unsafe manner, but that might have been more common that we think

Yeah. And his dog's not licensed either...

But seriously, recently I saw one of those Han towers with the model crossbowmen. The crossbows were done in the way you described; but this model was painted and the detail of the painting again showed bamboo with bindings around the prods.

The minorities of west China have (at least since such detail was first recorded in the Ming Dynasty) made crossbows with a self wood prod, not bamboo.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:17 am

Very nice model, Stephen, thank you.

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:03 pm

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 4:26 am

Nice picture ! When was this built ?

Arrowhead · Post by **Arrowhead** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 11:17 am

彝family cool mountain museum house

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:09 am

Jiao's explanation is that it is a crossbow of the Yi (彝) tribe in Liangshan (凉山), Yunnan. I cannot guess the size. I have information about large crossbows of this design used as tiger traps (i.e. triggered by a trip-wire.)

Thomas Duvernay · Post by **Thomas Duvernay** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:23 am

Stephen,

I have a drawing of a crossbow used in such a way (from a century-old book). I'll see if I can find it sometime.

T