Detail of target crossbow and windlass, 18th century, XI.8, XI.100. Royal Armouries, CC BY 4.0

 

This image shows part of a windlass, a spanning mechanism used to draw back the bowstring of a crossbow. This type of crossbow was used in sport, such as target shooting, or ceremonial events. Large target crossbows like this one have an incredibly heavy draw weight, and so a variety of spanning devices were necessary to mechanically pull back the bowstring in preparation for shooting. By the 17th and 18th centuries sporting crossbows were often highly decorative, beautiful items as much a display of personal tastes and wealth as they were practical sporting objects. This example is relatively plain, but still illustrates how these impressive objects were carefully, and cleverly designed.

 

This image is part of our Up Close online exhibition, which was made possible with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to use digital to enable our audiences to explore our collection in new and exciting ways.