North Indian Composite bow

Archery was a valued part of ancient warfare and is often neglected within the arms and armor community due to the romance and heroism associated with swords. The sword however, was only used in close combat, while the archers maintained distance and proved extremely lethal.

In India, the composite bow was in favor for centuries. The bows were made of layers wood, horn and sinew, which provided a maximum draft and range and were easy to manage on horseback. The composite bows are often called ‘crab bows’ due to their strongly curved appearance while being unstringed.

This example shows a fine and soft-toned orange, brownish colour and is decorated with gold painted cartouches of foliage. A style and fashion which was mostly seen in the 17th and 18th century. After the 18th century, the use of bows declined due to the use of firearms. The few bows made in the 19th century were made of steel to simplify the time consuming construction of traditional bow making.