This bow & arrow set was made by Khasi tribesmen from North East India. It is over 35 years old. I have had it since 1973 when a mate at university gave it to me.

The entire bow, bow string, the loops for the bow string & the arrow shafts are made from bamboo. The bow itself is made from a very strong species of bamboo that is about 8 to 12 inches in diameter. The bows are cut, shaped & then dried over the village wood fire for a season. They become extremely strong and springy. The bow string is made from the same type of bamboo - the piece is selcted with two knots at the correct lenth. The heads of the string are carved out of the knots & then the skin fibre of the bamboo is whittled out & the whole string is dried out. The loops are just twisted bamboo skin fiber. The arrows are from a different species of bamboo & are cut off at the knots. The feathers are tied on with a very intricate weave of thread. The arrow heads are barbed & North South in orientation for shooting animals with ribs that are vertical. Their war arrows (before the 1950s) had barbs with East West orientation for penetrating human ribs. The barbless arrow heads were used for shooting birds.