Archers

How archers would have dressed (or armored) in the Middle Ages, in terms of realistic period portrayals of archers. This list should also be useful for viewing period depictions of archery accoutrements.

There are plenty of unrealistic examples, of course; this list avoids figures dressed more for allegory or myth than for practical archery.

Also notable are portraits by Memling and van der Weyden of men holding arrows.

Last updated: Nov 8, 2021

• The Maciejowski Bible, 13th century
  The Israelites are repulsed from Hai (fol. 10r): An archer with a crossbow.
  The city of Hai is captured and its King is hanged (fol. 10v): An archer with a crossbow.
  Saul destroys Nahash and the Ammonites (fol. 23v): An archer with a longbow. (Arrows are tucked into the back of his belt.)
  Jonathan warns David (fol. 32r): Jonathan holds a longbow and carries three arrows tucked into the back of his belt.
• Kumane kidnaps a girl in a fresco series from the legend of Ladislaus at Velka Lomnica in Slovakia, c. 1300-1310
• Many in the Maastricht Hours (Brit. Lib. Stowe 17), 1st quarter of the 14th century
• The Manesse Codex (UBH Cod. Pal. germ. 848), 1300-1330: Herr Rubin (fol. 169v), Der von Wildonie (fol. 201r), Kristan von Luppin, eine Thüring (fol. 226v), Der Düring (fol. 229v), Von Trostberg (fol. 255r), Heinrich von Tettingen (fol. 361r), and Der Kol von Nüssen (fol. 396r)
• Nobles at a fountain, one with a bow and belt-quiver, Cocharelli Treatise on the Vices (British Library Egerton 3781, verso), c. 1314-1324
• The Luttrell Psalter (Brit. Lib. Add. 42130), c. 1325-1340
  Archer with a blunt arrow (fol. 45r)
  Longbowman (with an arrow tucked in his belt) and a crossbowman (fol. 56r)
  Archers shoot at a target (fol. 147v)
  A ship with archers (fol. 161v)
  A centaur with a longbow (fol. 164r)
  Another archer
• The Holkham Bible (Brit. Lib. Add. 47680), c. 1327-1335: 6v and 40
• The Bull of Monte Gargano, The lives of the saints (BNF Fr. 185, fol. 259v), second quarter of the 14th century
• Tacuinum Sanitatis, (BNF Nouvelle acquisition latine 1673), c. 1390-1400: Spelt, fol. 48v (fancy arrow-quiver on belt); Cranes, fol. 70v; Wind, fol. 101 (note simple black quiver worn on belt)
• The French destroy Genoa, Chroniques de France ou de St. Denis (Brit. Lib. Royal 20 C VII, fol. 19), end of the 14th century
• Siege of Jerusalem, Bible historiale (BNF Fr. 10, fol. 412v), beginning of the 15th century
• Zenobia hunting, De mulierbus claris (BNF Fr. 598, fol. 148), beginning of the 15th century
• Gaston Phoebus’ Book of the Hunt (BNF Fr. 616), beginning of the 15th century: several illustrations. Especially notable: a fur-covered quiver hanging from a belt, fols. 11v, 94, 115v, and 118
• Detail from The Siege of Cologne, a fresco at St. Stephan in Obermontani, c. 1400-1410
• An archer drawing his bow (note arrows in belt), a book of John Gower’s poetry (Laud Misc. 719, fol. 21r), 15th century
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• Archer (John Gower?) shooting at the world, Vox Clamantis (Hunter 59, fol. 6v), c. 1400; arrows tucked into belt
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• The execution of Odoacer, De casibus (BNF Fr. 226, fol. 234), first quarter of the 15th century; arrows carried in a brown (leather) quiver suspended from the waist
• The Death of St Giles from the Garamszentbenedek Altarpiece by Master Thomas de Coloswar, 1427
• Drawing of a bowcase and a quiver of arrows by Pisanello, 1438
• Interesting border around St. Fabian and St. Sebastian featuring bows, arrows, quivers, and harp-framed (hunting/falconry?) purses, The Hours of Catherine of Cleves (PML M.917, fol. 253), c. 1440
• Prince Tassilo Rides to Hunting, 1444
• The Crucifixion by Conrad Laib, 1449
• A man shoots a crossbow at an archery range, book of hours (Douce 93, fol. 101r), middle of the 15th century
• Archers on fols. 71r and 105r of a book of hours (Canon. Liturg. 283), third quarter of the 15th century
• Roman military training, De re Militari (PML M.364, fol. 3r), 2nd half of the 15th century
• Battle between the garrisons of Cherbourg and Montebourg (fol. 14v), the siege of Mortaigne (fol. 23r), the death of Bertrand du Guesclin (fol. 47v), the siege of Brest (fol. 210r), fighting outside Brest (fol. 224r), assault on Ribodane (fol. 252r), and the capture of Ribodane (fol. 281v), Chronique d' Angleterre (Brit. Lib. Royal 14 E IV), late 15th century
• Jupiter and His Children, the Wolfegg Housebook, 1475-1485
• Target shooting, Schachzabelbuch (ÖNB 3049, fol. 168r), 1479

There myght men see Archers gode, Cast away bothe gowne and hode, The better forto shote The Siege of Calais, ll. 114-116

• Two archers, Liber de Celo et Mundi (Brit. Lib. Sloane 748, fol. 25v), 1486
• St. Sebastian by Vincenzo Foppa, 1489
• A man with a longbow and arrows tucked into his belt, apparently shooting crows in a field, October, The Grimani Breviary, c. 1490-1510
• Archery Festival, 1493
• Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of St Ursula by Vittore Carpaccio, 1493
• Activities of the social classes; a covered alley where men shoot at butts with crossbows, Imaginacion de vraye noblesse (Brit. Lib. Royal 19 C VIII, fol. 41r), 1496
• St. Gilles and the Hind, 1500
• Archers at the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, Hours of Bonaparte Ghislieri (Brit. Lib. Yates Thompson 29, fol. 132v), c. 1500; arrow-quivers worn at the belt
• An invitation to join an arms competition, 1501 or later
• An archery fair at Konstanz in the Lucerne chronicle (Luzerner Schilling), 1513
• The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Hans Holbein the Elder, 1516
• Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre asleep with a crossbow by Bernhard Strigel, c. 1520-1521
• A crossbow competition in fols. 11v and 12r of the Hennessy Book of Hours, c. 1530-1540
• The martyrdom of St. Sebastian, The Munich-Montserrat Hours, c. 1535-1540 (note the fancy quiver on the ground)
• Hunting near Hartenfels Castle by Lucas Cranach, 1540
• The Adoration of the Kings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1564 (note bolts tucked into belt and hat)