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1920.33.7

Whistling arrow with carved horn head.

On display

1920.33.7

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Collection type
Object
Description
Whistling arrow with carved horn head.
Geographical reference
China
Asia > Eastern Asia > China
Person
Field collector Henry Balfour
PRM source Henry Balfour
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1920
Date collected
By 1920
Acquisition information
Donated: 1920
Materials and processes
Material Animal Horn, Material Wood Plant, Process Carved, Process Perforated
Dimensions
Length 943 mm arrow, Length 42 mm head
Object numbers
Accession number: 1920.33.7
Research and responses

Information from Peter Dekker (De Foro Manchu Archery: http://www.mandarinmansion.com/manchuarchery) following his visit as a member of the Society for the Promotion of Traditional Archery (SPTA) on 28 April 2011: Errors in case text about ‘Whistling arrows’:

a) “The noise was intended to alarm the opponents".

Qing imperial texts, describing many whistlers and their purposes, only list the following purposes: 1. Hunting. The vast majority of whistles are for this purpose. Some animals will be startled by the sound or react in a predictable manner when shot with a whistling arrow. Those with blades are almost always hunting arrows. Some blunt whistles were also used to kill pelt animals with blunt force and to prevent breaking the skin. 2. To prompt one’s own men. For example, used by scouts and sentries as a distress signal. 3. Fun: Target archery games existed where whistles were shot at felt rings.4. Ceremony (mainly Japanese shintoism, and Tungusic shamanism).

b) "Those with crescent blades were used in Japanese marine warfare to sever the rigging on enemy ships."

This is commonly said but probably not true: Crescent blades originated in hunting of birds and small game as they were able to cut through bone. They were later used for ceremonial purposes in Japan as well. It is impossible to cut rigging with these because bot only would heavy rigging absorb the blow, neutralizing much of the arrow's kinetic energy, but the arrow also spins a lot during flight. This makes it nearly impossible for the archer to know at what angle the blade is hitting the rope. [HH 22/08/2011]

Search terms: Music, Archery Weapon, Musical Instrument, Arrow, Flute