By Peter Dekker, April 3, 2014
Everyone get your bows out or dig through your archive of antique Qing bow pictures and send me clear pictures of your maker's marks to: info@manchuarchery.org
Also, if anyone can read some of the unidentified marks, let me know.
The idea is to get a database of maker's marks and some examples of the types of bows made by each shop.
Thanks!
Mark on a bow with simple finish in the Young Jip Bows and Arrows museum.
利央
Mark on a beautiful mosaic-patterned bow owned by Mike Richards:
德顺
Mark on a large bow, possibly a strength bow, in the Beijing military museum:
Mark on a simple but well-made Manchu bow previously owned by me, now Jaap Koppedrayer:
覀 X 記
(Perhaps 西厢记, thanks Wong Yuen-Ming for the suggestion.)
Mark on a bow owned by Wen Chieh Huang, possibly the same as the previous bow:
Mark on a large Manchu bow photographed by Wen Chieh Huang:
Mark on a large Manchu bow owned by Jaap Koppedrayer:
Mark on a large Manchu bow owned by Stephen Klausner:
義玲
Mark on bow 1994-0883 in the Charles Grayson Collection
長禁 "Ever enduring"
This bow further has inlaid in the ears: "Made during the Guangxu period, year Guimao (1903)," & "Supreme Commander Jing of the Plain Yellow Banner." Which is interesting because it is an extremely light target bow. Perhaps it was a joke, or stage prop, or perhaps was a light sports bow for a then perhaps elderly commander.
Mark on a standard bow in the Ingo Simon collection, now in the Manchester archery collection, Manchester:
定先 or 定氕
(I also remember seeing 定德 on a bow. I fail to remember when and where.)
Secret marks of the Changxing workshop in Chengdu:
