Cranequin from the Armory of Emperor Maximilan I (reigned 1493/1508–19)

Western or Central European, the Netherlands or Austria

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 373

Crossbows with bows made from steel or horn and sinew were so powerful that they had to be loaded, or spanned, using mechanical devices. This winder, which operates on the rack and pinion principle, is one of the most elaborately decorated examples of its type. It is struck with a mark consisting of a St. Andrew's cross and a fire steel, devices of the dukes of Burgundy that were later adopted by their successor, the future Emperor Maximilian I. The mark, combined with the richness of decoration, indicates that this winder probably came from Maximilian's personal armory.

Cranequin from the Armory of Emperor Maximilan I (reigned 1493/1508–19), Steel, wood (fruitwood, possibly pear), copper alloy, Western or Central European, the Netherlands or Austria

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Cranequin from the Armory of Emperor Maximilan I (reigned 1493/1508–19), Steel, wood (fruitwood, possibly pear), copper alloy, Western or Central European, the Netherlands or Austria
Cranequin from the Armory of Emperor Maximilan I (reigned 1493/1508–19), Steel, wood (fruitwood, possibly pear), copper alloy, Western or Central European, the Netherlands or Austria
Cranequin from the Armory of Emperor Maximilan I (reigned 1493/1508–19), Steel, wood (fruitwood, possibly pear), copper alloy, Western or Central European, the Netherlands or Austria
Cranequin from the Armory of Emperor Maximilan I (reigned 1493/1508–19), Steel, wood (fruitwood, possibly pear), copper alloy, Western or Central European, the Netherlands or Austria

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