Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Probably the earliest Gothic crossbow in existence, ca. 1350
Preserved at the City museum of Cologne, Germany.
In the first picture, the bow is of course inversed; this had been corrected by the time the second picture was taken.
The open curve of the composite bow is due to not having had a string attached for hundreds of years.
The detached bow of a huge wall crossbow also at the Cologne museum.