Crossbow Bolt
Cultureprobably
German
Dateearly 1500s
Mediumsteel, wood and leather
Dimensions2.5 oz (weight) 37cm
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.686.2
DescriptionBolt head attached to a wooden shaft with remains of leather vanes or flights. Steel pitted especially near point. Heavy losses around seam. Surface fractures at base reverse of seam. One vane mostly lacking, the other lost. Two small grooves at rear of vanes. Head is very loose, effectively detached.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 very little training. These crossbow bolts have stout heads to help them pierce armor.ProvenancePurchased by the Museum on June 5, 1930 from Ernst Schmidt, Munich, Germany. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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