Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

M ELEY · 4th March 2013, 06:18 PM

Awesome lantaka, Fernando!! I have also always wanted one of these and hope to acquire one someday. Yours looks absolutely authentic. It shows honest aging with some wear to the decorations. Note that yours isn't as 'decorative' as other models, something that I like because it points to its use as a weapon versus as simple window dressing (poorer quality 19th c. pieces were used as currency, as wedding dowry, etc). Judging from the length (27") and size bore (just under 1"), this could have been either a signal gun or as a defensive weapon (or both!). The real small ones are less than a foot (party-poppers!), while the largest are truly huge cannons vs rail guns. They would have fired either a large shot (1/2" ball) or the equivalent of partridge shot. Based on the fact that the trunions are 'closed', yours is post-1750/1800. If the ends of the swivel were open, they would pre-date 1750 (I had to go over some old notes to find that fact!). As far as where it is made, I'll have to look over my notes on these. I seem to remember that the ones with alligator decorations, seahorse designs were Malay? The plainer ones were Borneo? Can't remember...

Good find, my friend!!
Mark

P.S. For those interested in the history/making of these cannons, google 'Cannons of the Malay Archipelago' by Don Davie. I've had this printed article for awhile and tried to attach the link, but it's being difficult!

4th March 2013, 06:18 PM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,072	Awesome lantaka, Fernando!! I have also always wanted one of these and hope to acquire one someday. Yours looks absolutely authentic. It shows honest aging with some wear to the decorations. Note that yours isn't as 'decorative' as other models, something that I like because it points to its use as a weapon versus as simple window dressing (poorer quality 19th c. pieces were used as currency, as wedding dowry, etc). Judging from the length (27") and size bore (just under 1"), this could have been either a signal gun or as a defensive weapon (or both!). The real small ones are less than a foot (party-poppers!), while the largest are truly huge cannons vs rail guns. They would have fired either a large shot (1/2" ball) or the equivalent of partridge shot. Based on the fact that the trunions are 'closed', yours is post-1750/1800. If the ends of the swivel were open, they would pre-date 1750 (I had to go over some old notes to find that fact!). As far as where it is made, I'll have to look over my notes on these. I seem to remember that the ones with alligator decorations, seahorse designs were Malay? The plainer ones were Borneo? Can't remember... Good find, my friend!! Mark P.S. For those interested in the history/making of these cannons, google 'Cannons of the Malay Archipelago' by Don Davie. I've had this printed article for awhile and tried to attach the link, but it's being difficult! Last edited by M ELEY; 4th March 2013 at 10:59 PM.