Omani barrel.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

Thank you for adding these photos Ibrahiim, they do show the dragon well, and relationship between the sword finials and pan area.

All I can say is that there is more likelihood of these barrels coming from Persia or Northern India/Afghanistan, than there is of them coming from Germany as some think, and this because of the dragon heads.
I do not know of any Germanic tradition of using dragon heads on gun parts, Other than the serpent which holds the match....and cannons at the mouth.
Having said that, Germanic and Italian barrels from the 1500's could indeed be fluted Very like these!

Salaams Pukka Bundook~I have seen Portuguese and other European dragon/serpent locks on guns and whilst searching for a European armoury thread at http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22315
I stumbled on this below...

Please see https://books.google.com.om/books?id...tols&f=falseon about page 127...128 showing dragon/serpentine locks. Fine detail on page 127 and the following pages goes on to further discuss the origins of the Dragon Motif on European guns.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.