Cranequin (crossbow winder)
Artist
Ulrich Wildisen
(Stein-am-Rhein/Schaffhausen, Switzerland, (recorded 1546))
Dateabout 1550
Mediumsteel; iron; brass; copper inlay; bone or horn; walnut wood
DimensionsBody: 40.4 x 7.5 x 6 cm; Handle: 27 cm (10 5/8 in.), 4 lb, 1 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
MarkingsMaker's mark "W" on housing obverse.
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.581
DescriptionHeavy gear-bar ending in double hook to engage bowstring. Gear housing with winder on obverse, staple on reverse for securing to stock (perhaps via a loop of rope). Winder has handle of wood sandwiched between a cap and ferrule of bone or horn.Label TextBody armor was ultimately made obsolete by gunpowder, but already in the Middle Ages it faced a serious threat from crossbows. Like firearms, crossbows were simple "point-and-shoot" weapons that could be used by soldiers with much less training than knights. Mechanical devices like this one were used to draw the bow, which could deliver much more power than a simple longbow--enough to pierce plate armor.ProvenanceWilliam Randolph Hearst collection; purchased by Museum from Parke-Bernet Galleries (NYC) on December 4, 1952, sale no. 1387, lot no. 147. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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