Tartar Arrows from the Grayson Collection

Monday, October 1, 2012Monday, October 1, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

Something for an arrow maker to aspire to. There is much to learn from the old masters in their fields. Wonderfully tapered shafts, great fletchings, and good use of paint.

Crimean Tartar Arrows

Turkey, 18th–19th centuriesFour military arrows for use with Crimean Tartar bow. Straight wood shafts. Hawk feather fletching, three fletches, radial form, glued on. Bulbous self nocks, painted red on inside of notch. Hand-forged steel broadhead points, ridged at the base and thickened towards the tip; sinew reinforced. Decorated with red and gold paint.

86.5 cm long, shaft diameter is 0.8 cm.

MAC 1994-0745

Click here to access the Grayson collection, Museum of Anthropology, at the University of Missouri.

Edo Archery

Monday, October 1, 2012Thursday, December 20, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

19th century archery set, one bow missing.

Surimono print

Sunday, September 30, 2012Sunday, September 23, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ 1 Comment

Bow, arrow, and target from a culture that still loved archery, 1856.

Bone Point, Quebec

Thursday, September 27, 2012Sunday, September 23, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

Bone point from Saguenay-Lac Saint Jean Region; Québec; Canada. Probably very early 20th century.

Surimono 1862

Thursday, September 27, 2012Sunday, September 23, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

If I could ever look this cool…

Woodblock print, British Museum. Click the image for more information.

C. Gomez, Bow and Arrow Maker

Wednesday, September 26, 2012Saturday, February 17, 2024 ~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

When people appreciated hand made archery equipment. No training wheel, gizmos, releases, or sights. Click the image to access the British Museum page for this item.

Yupik (Eskimo) attributed bow and arrows

Tuesday, September 25, 2012Sunday, September 23, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

Believed to be a Yup’ik quiver, bowcase, bow, and arrows from the late 19th century.

Click the image to learn more.

Graces of Archery, satire

Monday, September 24, 2012Sunday, September 23, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ Leave a comment

Satire on archery from 1794. More at the British Museum.

Bow, arrows, and quiver, Chiricahua

Sunday, September 23, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

Chiricahua Apache, Arizona ca. 1880

Click the image above to see more about these artifacts at the National Museum of the American Indian.

Detail photo of some fletchings and points from this collection.

Arrows

Friday, March 30, 2012 ~ George Crawford ~ 4 Comments

Took the new arrows out for a little shooting last night. The bodkins are too much for the lightweight straw bales I have right now. The arrows shoot very straight and true but pass through the bales as if they weren’t even there. At least with broadheads you get some drag as they cut the straw. I’ll have to get a new setup this weekend or put some regular target points on. As can be seen above, they have a first coat of red ochre painted on and are waiting for a coat of oil tonight. Next, polish the heads and call them done. Then… start the process of slowly destroying them by shooting.