While looking for pictures of double recurve bows, I came across this very unusual design. I've never seen anything like it. One limb is short and decurved, while the other is longer and so slightly recurved that there would be no brace height if it weren't for the decurved limb. The bag next to it looks like it could be for holding the strung bow, though it could just as easily be a quiver. In any case, it looks pretty old--perhaps this bow is old as well?

Does anyone have any idea what this thing is, when and where it was made, or why it's shaped the way it is? I'd look it up myself but I have no idea what terms to use, and haven't a clue as to this bow's background. Searching for the image brought up nothing of use.

Thanks for any help!

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The Japanese use asymmetrical bows like that. I don't know whether that specific one is Japanese, but it's at least similar. Go to YouTube and look for kyudo, both on foot and horseback. Once you see how they draw, the shape will make sense.

I've seen photos of old bows that were asymmetric like that, but were originally symmetric (or almost symmetric). Basically, one limb fails and deforms.

Don't know if it takes things forward much but his might be of interest.

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/23054/...qM5qCqLSUk

Whatever this thing is, it's not a yumi. Deformed bow, maybe, but it looks like an intentionally asymmetrical bow to me. Looking up other historically asymmetrical bows, I found the Hidatsa bow, but it looks quite different.

Google Asymmetrical Hun bow as well. I have one of the Kassai and it is a great bow.

It's definitely not that, either. It doesn't look like any composite bow, and seems to be made just of wood.

Looking more closely at it, I think I can also rule out a symmetrical bow that had one limb set over time. The wrapping where one would grip the bow is clearly closer to one tip than the other--the limbs are meant to be different lengths and shapes.

Possibly an Eskimo or Inuit hunting bow? They seem to have some oddly asymmetric designs.

I think this is a californian native bow (yurok, hupa etc), somehow deformed (f.e. bad stringing) in the museum.

It does appear to be a fairly primitive design, and with the accompanying quiver (bow-case, perhaps?), it suggests Native American origin. I find the idea that it's simply warped through bad conservation to be a fair option.

Not as extreme but interesting.
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/63442/Bow_Bow_Case_Arrows_and_Quiver

Here is a similar piece, on the best anthrop. website:

http://anthro.amnh.org/anthropology/databases...1657%20ABC

For my two cents/tuppence worth.

It looks like the top limb is a very different section to the bottom limb and yes things may have moved and warped and taken a set over the years, but the two limbs simply look different, so whatever curvature the bow originally had, I would say that at draw it would definitely look asymmetrical.

Tod

It is a deformed bow. How it got that way is only know by time but that doesn't change the fact that is is still deformed

Ok, Finally got to a desktop. Searching on my phone didn't turn much up. An image search appears to indicate it is a " Wintun (poss. Patwin) from central California" https://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=25208.15
FWIW

And a slightly bigger picture from the above link.

[ Linked Image ]

Not sure if it is camera perspective but it looks like the top limb is longer than the bottom limb. The bottom limb has to be stronger than the top limb to get than bend. the recurve on the bottom limb makes it look deliberate, not deformed or broken. My guess is that this is made from a tree limb and the is designed this way because the base of the limb is stronger than the top. It is a cleaver design and may be a good shooter.

I wonder how the original user shot. Thumb release, three finger, something else?

I think this is a brilliantly innovative composition showing a bow unbraced and braced at the same time.