Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
Lot 106*
A GOLD-INLAID ARCHAIC BRONZE CROSSBOW TRIGGER MECHANISM AND TWO CROSSBOW FITTINGS Warring States Period
15 May 2025, 11:30 BST
London, New Bond Street£8,000 - £12,000
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Chen Xie
Specialist
Edward Luper
Specialist, Chinese Works of Art
Lazarus Halstead
Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
A GOLD-INLAID ARCHAIC BRONZE CROSSBOW TRIGGER MECHANISM AND TWO CROSSBOW FITTINGS
Warring States Period
Expertly cast, the hook finely decorated in inlaid gold with two tigers, the case with groove further decorated with tigers, birds and geometric patterns, with stand, 11.5cm (4 1/2in) long; the larger fitting deftly decorated with inlaid silver with curvilinear designs, 5.7cm (2 1/4in) wide; the smaller fitting similarly decorated with curvilinear patterns but inlaid with both gold and silver. 4.7cm (1 7/8in) wide. (4).
Expertly cast, the hook finely decorated in inlaid gold with two tigers, the case with groove further decorated with tigers, birds and geometric patterns, with stand, 11.5cm (4 1/2in) long; the larger fitting deftly decorated with inlaid silver with curvilinear designs, 5.7cm (2 1/4in) wide; the smaller fitting similarly decorated with curvilinear patterns but inlaid with both gold and silver. 4.7cm (1 7/8in) wide. (4).
Footnotes
戰國 銅錯金銀弩匣及弩機 一組三件
Provenance: Ariadne Galleries, New York and London
來源：Ariadne畫廊，紐約和倫敦
The crossbow, a key weapon from the Eastern Zhou to the Han dynasty, featured a sophisticated bronze trigger mechanism that enabled delayed discharge and improved accuracy. This mechanism comprised three interlocking parts: a hooked sighting device (wangshan) that caught the bowstring, a secondary hook (niu) controlling its movement, and a lever (xuandao or ban) that engaged with the trigger rest. When the bowstring was drawn back and latched into the hook, the bronze housing reinforced the structure, enhancing both power and range. Unlike traditional bows, the crossbow allowed archers to use their foot and back for added strength, making it a more powerful and precise weapon. See Age of Empires: Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties, New York, 2017, pp.83-84.
See a similar gold-inlaid crossbow trigger, late Warring States period, illustrated in Dialogue with the Ancients: 100 Bronzes of the Shang, Zhou, and Han Dynasties, The Shen Zhai Collection, Singapore, 2018, pp.328-329, no.81, where the author notes that 'exquisitely decorated crossbow trigger mechanisms as this are rare, suggesting they were likely used by royalty or a high-ranking official'. Another crossbow trigger mechanism inlaid with gold, Eastern Zhou dynasty, is illustrated by J.Rawson and E.Bunker, Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1990, p.194
See a related silver-inlaid bronze crossbow casing and trigger, late Warring States period/Han dynasty, which were sold at Sotheby's New York, 19 September 2023, lot 215.