bronze swivel gun (small cannon) with rosettes by Dr. E. Lee Spence $2,500.00
This is a rare European style, bronze swivel gun with rosette capped trunnions. It is 21" long and weighs 19.4 pounds.
The iron holders used in supporting the blank for forming the bore during casting are visible. The vent cover lugs to either side of the touch hole have been drilled, which indicates it was meant to be kept loaded and ready for firing. The touch hole shows quite a bit of actual use.
It is believed to have been made by or for the Dutch East India Company between 1650 and 1750 and were actually used as trade goods in the East Indies, with many eventually being used by the pirates in SE Asia. This is not a “lantaka.”
These small cannons, more correctly called swivel guns or rail guns, were mounted in sockets on posts, small carriages, and the ship’s rails and were used like shotguns to repel boarders or put down a mutiny.
These were a favorite of pirates, as they could be mounted in their ship’s crows nest to rain shot down on the deck and men of the other vessel. Furthermore, the larger, carriage mounted cannons did too much damage to the pirate’s intended prizes.
