A summary of the history, construction and effects in warfare of the projectile-throwing engines of the ancients, with a treatise on the structure, power and management of Turkish and other Oriental bows of mediæval and later times

by Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey

Fig. 3.—Longitudinal Plans of the Parts of a Turkish Bow.

AAA. The three pieces of thin wood that formed the core of the bow. Surface view. (The two outer lengths of the core were steamed into a curve as shown in CCC.)

BBB. The pieces glued together. Surface view.

CCC. The pieces glued together. Side view.

DDD. The strip of sinew that was glued to the core, and which formed the back or outer surface of the bow when it was reversed and strung.

EE. The two strips of naturally curved horn that were glued to the core, and which formed the belly or inner surface of the bow when it was reversed and strung.

PART II
THE BOW-STRING

The main part of the bow-string was composed of a skein of about sixty lengths of strong silk and was ingeniously knotted at each of its ends to a separate loop, formed of hard and closely twisted sinew. A loop and its knot is shown in [fig. 4], opposite page.

These loops could not fray or cut, as would occur if they were made of silk, and they fit into the nocks of the bow. The loops rest, when the bow is strung, upon small ivory bridges ([fig. 1], p. 102) which are hollowed out to receive them, and which, in this way, retain the bow-string in its place. Though these little bridges are not always present on Turkish bows, they are invariably to be found on those of Persian, Indian or Chinese construction, their greater length requiring the assistance of bridges to keep their bow-strings in a correct position.