Late Gothic Crossbows and Accouterments

[Matchlock]

Two Late Gothic cranequins in the Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum Munich.
The first Nuremberg, ca. 1480-90, the crank making a bad fit and most probably not belonging. The maker's mark inlaid in brass, two crossed arrows, is a well known Nuremberg workshop mark that obviously was struck over more than 50 years and, of course, from various stamps. It is found on cranequins ranging from the late 15th (this cranequin in discussion) to the mid-16th century (a cranequin dated 1540 in the collection of a friend is the latest dated sample I know of), many of which are dated. It is also known in some variations from a heavy wrought-iron haquebut barrel of ca. 1460/70 and from finely wrought Nuremberg arquebus barrels dated 1537 and 1539 respectively. Thus it must have belonged to a prolific Nuremberg ironworks workshop.

Please see
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...bow+collection
and
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus

The second ca. 1500, combining old stylistic elements like the claws and the brass inlaid lid of the gear case pierced with Gothic tracery, with new features characteristic of the Early Renaissance period, like the relatively broad and short rack.
The date assigned by the museum, 'ca. 1560', falls far short of reality.
The maker's mark, a serpent inlaid in brass, is known from other contemporary cranequins. The side of the gear case is pierced twice with the Gothic ornament of a quatrefoil.
There is a recess on both sides right before the claws, possibly a former dovetail for two small brass plates that would have perfectly matched the brass covered gear case. The combination of wrought iron and brass is characteristic of ironworks of the transitional Late Gothic/Early Renaissance style at the turn of the 15th to the 16th century.


m

[Matchlock]

The damaged wooden crank handle of the cranequin discussed in the previous post.

[Matchlock]

A fine, early 16th c. crossbow in the Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum Munich, the slender tiller completely veneered with plaques of white staghorn and decorated with incised parallel lines.
This object marks the first stage of the utilization of wrought iron bows instead of using bows composite of laminated and glued horn and wood. In many instances - and obviously in the case of this piece in discussion! - , the composite bow was replaced by an iron one, which is visible because of the wider recess at the front of the tiller required by the composite bow that had to be filled with wood; thus, the tiller was recycled and modernized.
This bow retains its original coating of parchment or paper dyed in the basic Late Gothic colors red, green and white.

Attached below is a photo of an interesting object: a cranequin etched, signed and dated HZ 1630. As the overall appearance suggests a date of 'ca. mid 16th century' I am prone to believe that the etched decoration may have been added in 1630. Any opinions on this thesis?


m

[Micke D]

Lovely Michael!

I would say that your Straubing #2 is the oldest and most interesting of the three, (made in like 1410-1420?), and a bit of a missing link between the older type like W1109 in Köln made maybe around 1400 and the other two Straubing crossbows made as you say about 1430-1440.

/Micke

[Matchlock]

You are doubtlessly right, Micke,


At least as far as formal and stylistic dating criteria are concerned.

With its overall proportions, especially the long and delicate tiller, plus the straight tiller trigger (trigger bar) which is rectangular still and does not yet show the rounded knee-like forward bow, the Straubing crossbow #2 indeed seems, in terms of period, very close to the general High Gothic style of around 1400, as depicted by Konrad Kyeser in Bellifortis, Eichstätt/Bavaria, 1405 (top attachment), the Köln crossbow W 1109, with his curved bow now finally mounted the correct way - although some museum people stilll are convinced it looked 'more authentic' before (in their inexpert eyes only), on a painting of ca. 1430 depicting a mounted crossbow man, and on a Bavarian painting from an altar piece, ca. 1420-25, whereas two miniatures in the Stundenbuch (book of hours) of Katharina von Kleve, ca. 1440, seem to represent a remarkably more evolved type.

On the other hand, this could lead to the conclusion that the Köln crossbow is even older - ca. 1370-80?!

Actually the facts probably were more or less the same as in all former armories, the Landeszeughaus Graz etc.: whenever a series of no matter what kind of weapons was ordered the pieces showed minor differences depending on whether an older fellow had kept and continued his obsolete style, or maybe a few younger working next to him had adopted the more recent style.

Would you rank the Straubing crowssbow now in the Jagdmuseum between the two others, or closer in style to no. 1?

Attachments appearing in the order referred to in the text.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Some very early sources of period illustrations depicting crossbows - and proving that shapes of the trigger bar that we would date '2nd half 15th c.' seem to have existed more than 200 years ago!

Attachments, from top:

- Maciejowski Bible, ca. 1245-50 (5)

- Liber ad honorem Augusti, Southern Italy, ca. 1194-96, Burgerbibl. Berne/Switzerland

- ca. 1225-50

- Codex Manesse, ca. 1305 (2)

- Spain or Portugal, 12th c., National Archive Lisbon (thanks, Nando!

- Siege of Cologne by the Huns, early 15th c.

- crossbow stored in its leather case (!), 1st half 15th c.

- Luttrell Psalterium, ca. 1330, British Library


Best,
m

[Matchlock]

Two items very rare to find in detached condition, and visible from all sides :

two stirrups and a tiller trigger/trigger bar, from crossbows of the 2nd half of the 15th c.
The first stirrup: 11.9 x 0.98 x 3.4 x 9.63 cm.

m

[Matchlock]

Andi posted this historically important Ottoman incendiary arrow:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...621#post170621

This rare item has been identified as an arrow rather than a crossbow bolt, for the fact that long bows were favorized in Muslim areas, and in the 16th and 17th centuries.
It has been preserved at the Stadtmuseum of Klosterneuburg (museum of the City of Klosterneuburg) located at the Danube River, near Vienna, Lower Austria)ever since The Second Great Siege of Vienna by the Turks, 14 July through 12 September 1683!

For important contemporary illustrations, see Wikipedia:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca..._of_Vienna.png

Please also cf. my thread:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...k+Suhl+Austria


Thanks, Andi,
and best,
Michael