17th Century Turkish / Polish Quiver Chain

Ron Jachim · Post by **Ron Jachim** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:12 am

Several Turkish and Polish belt quivers I have examined have a belt-like chain suspended on them from the back of the quiver to the front of it, roughly paralleling the exterior pocket. What might this be for? I?ve found this on ? of the quivers I?ve found in Polish collections. I?m getting ready to make one and I can make the chain, but I can?t figure out what it was for.

Thanks,
Ron

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:08 am

Ron,
The chain may be the relic of a strap used to hold arrows in the pocket or of something that was used to bundle arrows in the main body of the quiver. It certainly is a late fitting though it is seen in some quivers in Topkapi.

It became a highly decorated piece of jewellery in the seventeenth century. Since the majority of surviving quivers are high status objects, that might explain the chain's distribution.

Alam ed Din, Adnan · Post by **Alam ed Din, Adnan** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:37 pm

Do you have any sketching or photo's of the chain you've mentioned?
Greetings & Salaam

Andrzej Abratowski · Post by **Andrzej Abratowski** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:45 pm

Did you write about some similar chain?
Andrzej

Ron Jachim · Post by **Ron Jachim** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:28 am

Yes, that is the chain I meant. Does it serve a purpose or is it just for decoration? It is too low to hold arrows in place.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:34 am

Ron,
That is the one I was talking about too. If it wasn't a chain, it could have been used to tie the bow case and quiver together when they were carried by a servant.

Most of the ones I ahve seen photographed did not have a hook at either end so they were not meant to be undone. From miniature paintings showing arrows tied in a bundle in the quiver, I still think this a a relic of a formerly practical item. Military fashion is full of useless, but attractive things that have become part of tradition like infantry officers' swords in the nineteenth century.

Andrzej Abratowski · Post by **Andrzej Abratowski** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:30 pm

Bede
what miniature paintings did you mention? Persian? It is interesting.
This picture shows a double (2 x 4) cord quiver, very decorative.
Andrzej

Andrzej Abratowski · Post by **Andrzej Abratowski** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:32 pm

and picture

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:36 pm

Andrzej,
The painting Yokhua posted once from the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, is the one I meant. It was painted in 1540 and shows a battle between Khusrau Parwiz and Bahram Chubineh. Several archers are shown with cords crossing over on the arrows in the body of the quiver. The cords may be attached to the quiver or the arrows may have been tied into a bundle before insertion into the quiver. At best, they are a distant ancestor of the later chains.

I too find the chains decorating the quivers in your pictures very attractive. I am sure they would be very noisy too. You would be in no doubt of how important the wearer was. How ever they started, these chains ended up as archery jewellry.

One of Orlowski's engravings from 1819 shows a Khan of the Crimea wearing a quiver with a chain. Another quiver in the picture does not have a chain, but does have similar metal decorative plates. This suggests that it might be a status symbol.