Longbow, 19th century, Unknown Japanese, 85 3/4 × 1 × 6 1/2 in. ( × × cm), Laminated lacquered bamboo, Japan, 19th century, Although the sword is the iconic weapon of the samurai, mastery of the longbow was also a highly regarded skill, and expert archers were the stuff of legends. Longbows were the main weapon during the Heian (784–1185) and Kamakura (1185–1333) periods and became formally accepted as a military weapon in 1252. During battle, samurai first shot arrows from horseback before they resorted to sword fighting. In the 1300s, long swords and spears became the weapons

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Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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