Welcome to fe doro - Manchu archery

The site for articles on all aspects of historical Manchu archery.

For years I put heart and soul into this site, writing articles in weekends and after office hours. Since 2016 I quit my day job to dedicate myself full-time to antique arms at www.mandarinmansion.com. Most of my more recent writing is done there now, but I haven't forgotten about the subject yet!


Big News! Debtelin 2 is out!

Themed "Manchu Archery", I acted as a guest editor for this publication.

Together with a team of over 20 translators we dug into the literature of Manchu archery, producing various translations to English which reveal Manchu archery as seen from the eyes of the culture itself.

Click the link below to see the full table of contents.


Debtelin 2 can now be ordered via Etsy:
Debtelin 2.
Debtelin 2: Manchu Archery

€32,50



Peter Dekker

Amsterdam, 16 February 2018.



Articles

For a complete overview of all articles in chronological order see the full list of publications.


History & general backgrounds:




Rise of the Manchus




Manchu archery




Bow evolution




Portrait of Youtun




1882 Jiangnan examination results




Last Manchu archer 1




Last Manchu Archer 2




Mongolian archery ban





Historical Manchu archery equipment:


The Manchu bow


Manchu arrows


Whistling arrows & whistle arrows


Bow-making


Qing Mosaic-patterned bows


Recreating a baogong


Bow cases & quivers


Historical draw weights


Manchu war arrows




Today's practice:


Technique


The tunken target


Using the thumbring


Bow care by Lukas Novotny


Starting Manchu archery




Early photographs and footage:




Manchu and Chinese archers




Mongolian archers




Tibetan archers


A bowyer's workshop in 1935


Republican period archery


Mongolian archery footage


Republican archery footage




Reference material:


Korean views of Manchu archery


Manchu bow glossary


Manchu - English terminology


Bow and arrow prices, 1802


Maker's marks


Young-Jip Museum