The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Crossbow Bolt

Crossbow Bolt

1500s–1600s
wood, leather, steel
Average: 37.2 cm (14 5/8 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1742
Location: 210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

Bolts with leather feathering were used mainly in the Tyrolean area, which includes northern Italy and western Austria.

Description

Created by skilled technicians from wood, steel, and leather, each bolt was handmade with slight differences in construction and design. These bolts were used with a crossbow and they were more powerful than traditional bows and arrows. A soldier could carry many bolts and still maneuver easily around the battlefield.
  • ?
    Franz Thill, Vienna, Austria
    ?-1916
    Frank Gair Macomber, Boston, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Catalogue of an Exhibition of Arms and Armor: [Exhibition] Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Summer, 1899. Boston: The Museum, 1899. Cat No. 77
    Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924. Mentioned: p. 173, G3; Reproduced: Plate XXXVII, G3 archive.org
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. p. 134
  • Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008); Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN (February 13-June 7, 2009).
  • {{cite web|title=Crossbow Bolt|url=false|author=|year=1500s–1600s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1742