Any thoughts?

[willie]

I think that these old paintings are a vague source of info for us. They were painted by painters, not bowyers

I think you have a good point Don. There is some careful attention to detail in the painting, but the kings robe seems to have the most attention from the artist.

[DC]

Why a bolt gun and not a cross bow? What's the diff?

[Traxx]

I think that these old paintings are a vague source of info for us. They were painted by painters, not bowyers, so what you get is a painters impression of what was happening.

Exactly...

[stuckinthemud]

There's also some stereotyping; the guy with the hornbow, check his colour and clothing, then his expression and facial hair - Eastern folk were always depicted as the bad guy. Thing is, if it is a hornbow, it has very short hooks, no? That's what I find puzzling, the artist seems to have painted an Eastern character shooting with a thumb ring and probably a horn bow (though I do like the suggestion of an Italian recurve) but the style is not one I recognise, certainly not an Ottoman bow

[PatM]

Why a bolt gun and not a cross bow? What's the diff?

   People don't like to consider a crossbow a bow so they derogatorily refer to them as guns even though they are clearly not.

[stuckinthemud]

Looks like he painted a shadow-line where the sinew might have rolled around the  side and onto the belly? If he painted that much detail then the bow profile may be accurate