Old Indian Bow

[Keenan]

 The following is off of a link that Juniper Junkie sent me about the California Native history. All I could say is wow!  I would love to post the link but I'm not sure that that would be apropriate because of book sales and promotions that are attached. This however was a very interesting artical. What first caught my attention was the incredible size of the bow. The shape and style very authentic no doubt and as I read the information was amazed at what this bow must have pulled for weight.
 Here is the artical atached to the pic. I will see if I can get the pic of the bow copied as well.


OLD NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN BOW
Justin Farmer, JUSTIN FARMER FOUNDATION, an Ipai Northern Diegueño Indian, holds an old Indian bow cave relic from his collection. The old Native American Indian bow artifact was discovered in the mid 1900s (ca. 1950s) in an undisturbed cave along Malibu Canyon, the southeastern limit of historic Chumash territory that borders the ancestral Gabrielino lands. Some of the bow's bottom tip appears missing.

Justin Farmer said he acquired the old California longbow in the mid 1980s from another collector, and has since sold it, along with his entire collection, to the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians for the Pechanga Cultural Center on the Pechanga Indian Reservation in Southern California.

A Native American expert and book author on California Indian artifacts, Justin Farmer estimates the Native bow's age somewhere between 500 and 1,000 years old. He said the old longbow has remnants or traces of red ocher dye or paint or pigment or mineral on its backside.

The ancient California bow also shows signs of having some type of wrapping on its six-inch grip area due to the grip's lighter (less exposed) color compared the rest of the bow surface.

Similar to the Andres Albañes bow pictured in this bow series, the Justin Farmer antique California long bow's stave is semi-circular in cross section. Wood has been shaved from its belly to make it flat, and its back essentially untouched.

Also, the nock is simply a narrowed end.

Remaining length of the bow is 56-5/8 inches; its width at the grip is 2-1/16 inches; thickness, 1 inch.

At 18 inches from the end, it narrows slightly to 2 inches wide, 15/16 inches thick. By 4 inches before the tip, the width is 1-1/4 inches, the thickness is 7/16 inches. At the tip the thickness is 1/4 inch.

Justin Farmer is a well-known book author, collector, and authority on California Indian artifacts. He founded the JUSTIN FARMER FOUNDATION
 

[Keenan]

Pic

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[cowboy]

Cool story and bow! That is a biggun - wonder if it was ever finished?

[Keenan]

 Paul The fact that it shows evidence of a handle wrap and the tips being worked to 1/4 inch I would tend to believe that it was finished and even shot. Also the limbs show obvious set indicating having been stressed. With as wide as this bow was I would tend to believe that the arrows were quite long and research gives evidence of this for that region as well. Would hate to be on the receiving end of an arrow from that.

[JackCrafty]

Yep, I've seen that article.  Very interesting bow.  (It looks finished to me....the nocks were probably built up sinew, shoulder type)

If the bow was made from juniper sapwood, and the original length about 60", I would estimate the draw weight around 65# @ 28".  I have a similar D-bow made from juniper that pulls 55#@28", 66" long and about 2" wide near the handle......but without the recurves.

[Trapper]

I have a friend that wanted me too look at a bow he got somewhere he wouldnt say where and he didnt know what it was so I drove 150 miles too look at it , it was like this one in many ways exept it was made from a chokecherry limb that still had the pith groove down the middle of the belly and the nocks ,,,, Get this was plaited pine needles ,,, cool bow I thought , dont know how old it was but it looked very old .         Joe

[Keenan]

Cool story Trapper. It would be great if you could get some more info and pics on it

[Trapper]

Sorry Keenan, the old boy , that had it is no longer a friend I gave him about 80 scapers of all sizes and they were real and he had a rockshop in Ark. and said he would try and sell them for me, some were very beautiful scapers , that was 3 yrs agao and I cant even get ahold of him, he wont answer the phone or anything, so needless too say I dont think I will be talking too him again, to bad he was the one who lost out on a good friendship.  And too think I actually took him fishin man.    Joe

[Blacktail]

hey keenan,i have seen this site before...they also sell a book i have been wanting to get.writen by paul d campbell (SURVIVAL SKILLS OF NATIVE CALIFORNIA) and (EARTH PIGMENTS)...I really love the other photo of the bows and arrows on there too...i want to make one so bad...well some day.later john