Japanese Short Bow

Cesar K Ramos · Post by **Cesar K Ramos** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:59 am

check it out...it's a hankyu 'half bow' someone should archive these pictures.

http://www.trocadero.com/MONTES/items/6 ... store.html

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:17 am

It actually looks like an odd rimankyu. I think hankyu bows are bigger. Are there measurements?

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:36 pm

I will have to agree with Bede; looks like a carriage bow made of whale baleen. the arrows are armed. Parlor bows do not have arrow heads. fantastic find, museum stuff, thanks. -j-

Rapsod · Post by **Rapsod** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:30 pm

Isn't daimyo something like warlord?

Did you notice strange nocks?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:57 am

Rimankyu all have unusual nocks. Daimyos are rulers or aristocrats in local areas. During the periods of weak government they often became warlords.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:08 pm

Fascinating - beautifull piece of workmanship. Does anyone know anything about these shorter Japanese bows? I've heard of whale-baleen Japanese short-bows before, but know nothing really about them. It seems that they were 'serious' weapons - but more of a side-arm than a main warbow (unlike the longbow / yumi).

Were they self-baleen or backed with sinew for instance? Were they ever made of other materials?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:43 pm

Nick,
How serious a weapon they were is up for discussion. The usual story is that they were carried by high ranking aristocrats when traveling in palanquins where space was tight and you would have no opportunity to jump up and fight normally.

All the ones I have seen were unbacked baleen, but there is no reason to suppose that they were not made out of laminated bamboo as well. Someone who has read a lot about Japanese archery literature would have to comment on the use of sinew, but I know of no examples.

Jason DuLac · Post by **Jason DuLac** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:01 pm

Hi everyone!

This is my first post on ATARN and I'm glad to be here!

These (should be) some pics I took yesterday of a early (about 1,000 years old) Japanese Budha of compassion, although he doesn't look too compassionate to me! I'd hate to see what the Budha of anger looks like! He sits in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachussets.

Note the small recuve bow in his hand. Didn't yumi bows come become popular with the samuri? and didn't the samuri become established around 1,000 years ago?

J.

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