Golden Chain – Burgundy Bow

Are you familiar with the medieval hunting bow—also known as the Burgundian bow?

These bows were valued less as weapons of warfare and more as recreational and hunting bows used by the nobility. Yes, these are the curved bows that are often seen in old illustrations, and fortunately, a few examples have survived for us to examine. They are often characterized by a more or less curved reflex-deflex-reflex profile. The most famous examples are probably the Aschau bows, which are now on display at the Germanic National Museum in Nürnberg.

Another remarkable feature of these bows is that they have a pentagonal cross-section of the limbs and were made from laburnum wood. In addition, decorative lines were engraved along the limbs. What’s particularly interesting for us Swiss is that these bows were crafted, among other places, in the abbeys of Lausanne and Bern. Yes, we the Swiss have our own tradition of bowmaking!

I wanted to recreate a bow like this for a long time. But,…..and yes…..its that type of build you chicken out at first. But its finally done and I’m happy now. I’m not pedantic also when it comes to  historical correctness and thus added the leaf gold and the takedown system as my own touches.