Manchu bow
Composite recurve bow historically used in Manchuria / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Manchu bow (Manchu: ᠪᡝᡵᡳ, Möllendorff: beri) is a type of composite reflex bow historically used in Manchuria, and subsequently spread to China, Mongolia, and Tibet during the Qing dynasty.[1] It is similar in construction and likely shares roots with the medieval Mongol bow. It is characterized by very large siyahs, long draw length, prominent string bridges, and use with typically large and heavy arrows.[2] Compared to bows used by other cultures, which fired lighter arrows over longer distances, the Manchu bow was useful for shorter distances and capable of penetrating armor. One observer of the Boxer Rebellion noted that bows of 150 pounds (68 kg) were not uncommon.[3] When strung, the bows were around 196 centimetres (77 in) from tip to tip.[4]
Due to its extensive usage outside Manchuria, this bow is also often identified as a Chinese bow or Mongol bow, and during the 17th century, its widespread usage (along with the increasing proliferation of firearms) almost completely displaced all other types of bows in the Qing Empire. The Manchu military continued to use, and prefer to firearms, bows until the late 19th century.[5]
The Manchu bow was traditionally thumb drawn using a cylindrical thumb ring; standard thumb rings were made of bone.[6]
The early inhabitants of Manchuria likely used other types of bow as well, and may have used a type of mulberry longbow for hunting in wet weather conditions which could negatively affect the glues used for composite bow construction.