Crossbow
c.1450—c.1470
Medium
Steel, iron, horn, bone, staghorn, birch bark, cherrywood, and hemp fiber
Dimensions
14 × 78.1 × 76.8 cm (5 1/2 × 30 3/4 × 30 1/4 in.)
Classification
crossbow
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
116813
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Strong enough to pierce through mail or plate armor at close ranges, the crossbow was a formidable weapon on the late medieval battlefield. In the fifteenth century, most bows like this example were made of joined pieces of horn, bone, and sinew bound by animal-skin glue and covered in a layer of painted birch bark to make them waterproof. The worn condition of this bow has made its layers visible. The added steel plate at the front of the bow to hold the bolt (arrow) is a later repair, suggesti...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...