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1886.1.114

Whistling arrow.

On display

1886.1.114

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Collection type
Object
Description
Whistling arrow.
Long description
Wooden whistling arrow with detachable hollow wooden head; painted red, green and black, 5 holes.
Geographical reference
China
Asia > Eastern Asia > China
Northern China
Date / Period
Date made: On or before 1865
Date collected
?On or before 1865
Acquisition information
Transferred: 08/03/1886
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Pigment, Process Painted, Process Carved, Process Perforated
Dimensions
Length 46 mm head, Length 950 mm arrow
Object numbers
Accession number: 1886.1.114
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: Archery Weapon, Music, Arrow, Musical Instrument, Flute