Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

fspic · 30th January 2012, 06:23 PM

My interest is in duplicating the barrel bands/capucines as so many were lost and replaced with simple brass bands. No doubt many such brass bands were common as original replacements. Many were fairly elaborate and embossed and these are worthy of a bit of study. On my last Moroccan musket I have very deeply imaged figuring on two pieces. I must carefully remove these to see how this was done as the design is freehand and not of specific forms or shapes.

But one band is flat and an oddball. It is apparently acid etched. It is the sort of thing which would be done for a lithography or etching plate. The design is of flowers and arguably closer to French style as opposed to whatever metal illustrations would be found in North Africa - but I am guessing. I will check further if I can safely remove it.

As for the marking on the one jezail barrel, it consists only of a couple cuts in the metal. I will check and see if I can carefully clean the area to bring out the marking which is light. Fortunately there is a bit of old dirt or corrosion in it to make it a bit more legible. The issue is to determine which language it may represent. No doubt there is an overlap in the use of Arabic lettering as it may be applied to languages in that area.

As regards other language markings I do have an Indian barrel which I had translated by someone working at Dunkin' Donuts as they have an Indian employee force. Most do not know Hindi but one guy at a local place did. He translated the inscription as, "Siri ("Sheeri") Man Siri Raj Groorootam Singh". He said there was a place name he didn't recognize or couldn't quite read. I am trying to place the period of this item and with tracing of this particular Raj it should be possible.

I have a decent stock of inlay material including cabs of pearl and some red coral. I was going to order some bulk lapis lazuli as it is available locally. Copying some of the original inlay work is another one of my delusions. Also doing koftgari and niello work most of which will likely never be started much less completed.

30th January 2012, 06:23 PM	#6
fspic Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 27	My interest is in duplicating the barrel bands/capucines as so many were lost and replaced with simple brass bands. No doubt many such brass bands were common as original replacements. Many were fairly elaborate and embossed and these are worthy of a bit of study. On my last Moroccan musket I have very deeply imaged figuring on two pieces. I must carefully remove these to see how this was done as the design is freehand and not of specific forms or shapes. But one band is flat and an oddball. It is apparently acid etched. It is the sort of thing which would be done for a lithography or etching plate. The design is of flowers and arguably closer to French style as opposed to whatever metal illustrations would be found in North Africa - but I am guessing. I will check further if I can safely remove it. As for the marking on the one jezail barrel, it consists only of a couple cuts in the metal. I will check and see if I can carefully clean the area to bring out the marking which is light. Fortunately there is a bit of old dirt or corrosion in it to make it a bit more legible. The issue is to determine which language it may represent. No doubt there is an overlap in the use of Arabic lettering as it may be applied to languages in that area. As regards other language markings I do have an Indian barrel which I had translated by someone working at Dunkin' Donuts as they have an Indian employee force. Most do not know Hindi but one guy at a local place did. He translated the inscription as, "Siri ("Sheeri") Man Siri Raj Groorootam Singh". He said there was a place name he didn't recognize or couldn't quite read. I am trying to place the period of this item and with tracing of this particular Raj it should be possible. I have a decent stock of inlay material including cabs of pearl and some red coral. I was going to order some bulk lapis lazuli as it is available locally. Copying some of the original inlay work is another one of my delusions. Also doing koftgari and niello work most of which will likely never be started much less completed.