Skip to main content

Cranequin: HEN.M.411-1933

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Steel with etched and partly gilt decoration. The decoration of the crossbow includes squirrels, a swan, tritons, Cupid riding a dolphin, and a group of Venus, Cupid, and a putto riding a hippocamp (a mythical seahorse).

Notes

History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex

Legal notes

J.S. Henderon Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 40.5 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

16th Century
Circa 1500 CE - 1600 CE

Note

A cranequin, comprising a hook, ratchet, and handle, was used to span a crossbow in preparation for firing.

Considerable force was needed to pull the string of a crossbow back to the spanned position ready for shooting. As the power of the bow increased it became impossible to do this it by hand unaided. This rack and pinion device, called a cranequin, was capable of pulling the string back due to its gearing. It was placed over the crossbow, as here, and turning the handle moved the geared rack backwards, dragging the string with it. Once the string was locked in position for shooting, the cranequin was removed.

The tiller of this highly ornate crossbow is particularly designed to show off the wealth of its owner. The decoration includes squirrels, a swan, tritons, Cupid riding a dolphin, and a group of Venus, Cupid, and a putto riding a hippocamp (a mythical seahorse).

School or Style

Renaissance

Components of the work

Handle composed of wood

Materials used in production

Steel

Identification numbers

Accession number: HEN.M.411-1933
Primary reference Number: 19465
Old object number: B117
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 18 December 2023 Last processed: Monday 18 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Cranequin" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/19465 Accessed: 2024-11-08 15:38:27

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/19465 |title=Cranequin |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-08 15:38:27|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-19465

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...