Strange decurved bow?
What do the people here think about the strange decurved bows seen in some illustrations of Eastern bowmen, such as this one? I'm leaning towards the idea that it's a mistaken interpretation based on old pictures of composite bows that had been strung the wrong way around. So, am I going in the right direction or am I just pontificating out of my excretory orifice?
I think we can see that the bow does not fit the case, though almost certainly wood self bows had their place in the culture. The horse's crupper under the tail does not seem correct, the boots are of a modern style; isn't the sword upsidedown? Anyone can publish. -j-
Probably the artist who made the illustration is unaware about the right archery equipment and related details.
The painting appears to be modern and not well researched as far as the archery equipment. I suggest that the bow was drawn from a photograph of an unstrung bow in a Polish collection in the book Odsiecz Wiedenska. Illustration No. 194 has a matching bow case and a bow with a similar leather wrapped hand grip. The bow is an unstrung Krim Tatar bow. The caption is "Tureski luk z sajdakiem, ze zdobyczy wiedenskiej, wotum kr?la Jana III dla Jasnej G?ry, SJG".
The artist may have visited Jasna Gora Monastery and seen the original.
The artist may have visited Jasna Gora Monastery and seen the original.
So it's just an unstrung bow, not one strung altogether the wrong way around? I admit I hadn't considered that possibility but, now that I think of it, it sounds pretty sensible.