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Details
AN EARLY BRONZE PORTUGUESE BREECH-LOADING CANNON FALCONETTE
The bronze barrel with integral breech formed as a channel with rectangular holes at each side for wedges to secure the breech block (camara), with flared muzzle and reinforcing rings and in-line trunions, the barrels bearing the coat-of-arms of Portugal, armillary sphere of King Manuel and a founder's mark.
63 inches overall
2 inch bore
In some sources refered to as a berco or falcao, this gun, typical of shipwreck finds, was retrieved from a site in the Seychelles Islands. It is from the same wreck as the previous lot. With an overall washed surface the details are somewhat faint, though they are evident. In an article in Nautical Archeology, 15.1, W. Blake and J. Green, Mid-XVI Century Wreck it is noted refering to swivel guns of this type: "The founder's, whose marks appear on the guns, were known to be working in 1515 and 1550 (do Valle, 1963).", and this is substantiated by the presence of the porcelain shard accompanying lot 86 which dates to 1567. It would therefore appear that dating this cannon to prior to 1550 is correct.
The bronze barrel with integral breech formed as a channel with rectangular holes at each side for wedges to secure the breech block (camara), with flared muzzle and reinforcing rings and in-line trunions, the barrels bearing the coat-of-arms of Portugal, armillary sphere of King Manuel and a founder's mark.
63 inches overall
2 inch bore
In some sources refered to as a berco or falcao, this gun, typical of shipwreck finds, was retrieved from a site in the Seychelles Islands. It is from the same wreck as the previous lot. With an overall washed surface the details are somewhat faint, though they are evident. In an article in Nautical Archeology, 15.1, W. Blake and J. Green, Mid-XVI Century Wreck it is noted refering to swivel guns of this type: "The founder's, whose marks appear on the guns, were known to be working in 1515 and 1550 (do Valle, 1963).", and this is substantiated by the presence of the porcelain shard accompanying lot 86 which dates to 1567. It would therefore appear that dating this cannon to prior to 1550 is correct.