I know this one's pretty niche, but I've been researching the Eight Banners and virtually every illustration I've come across of their archers depicts them like so. It's the quiver I'm particularly interested in - they almost always have a full quiver with dark fletchings and then three (or sometimes two) arrows set aside with light fletchings, or sometimes vice versa. Is there a reason for this?
This might have your answer (page five). It says that Manchu archers used several kinds of arrows, and during the Qing period they carried 9-30 "plum needle" arrows, and often only 3 heavy pi arrows. That article is not well-sourced, but there are some sources...
There's a couple of mentions of these on Manchu archery sites after a cursory Google search, but I'm my JSTOR-fu isn't getting me good hits. Maybe this will give someone with more familiarity a jumping-off point...
Hi guys. These three arrows are indeed military broadheads. They are slightly wider than the standard military arrow. Because of the wide head the feathers are slightly helical for the necessary stabilization, decreasing the maximum range of these arrows. However, at short range they will deliver greater punch and damage to not so well protected targets like horses or unarmored opponents. Due to the widespread use of firearms at the time, few people would actually wear armor. According to the 1759 Huangchao Liqi Tushi, officers and soldiers could choose between broadheads and standard military arrows. Standard practice was to take three broadheads. One of the better archers, Badai, is depicted having only one type of arrows in his quiver. He may have worked on the assumption no-one came close enough to him for him to reach for his broadheads. If you guys are interested in the subject, check my website www.manchuarchery.org. Cheers!
