A Very Rare Small Indian Bronze Cannon
214
A Very Rare Small Indian Bronze Cannon
Lucknow, Dated 1800
Of European form, multi-staged with raised mouldings and bell-shaped muzzle, touch-hole with raised border forming a pan, the base-ring cast 'General. Claude. Martin. Lucknow. 1800.', plain trunnions, knob-shaped cascabel, and dark green patination (some bruising overall): on modern brass-mounted stepped wooden carriage of naval type with wooden trucks
65 cm. barrel, 3.4 cm. bore
Sold for £4,375 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • For an almost identical example see Howard L. Blackmore, 'General Claude Martin, Master Gunmaker', The Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting, vol. 27, no. 1 (February 1989), p. 4, pl. 2

    Claude Martin was born in 1735 in Lyons, the son of a cooper. He served with the French army 1752-60, when he deserted in India and joined the East India Company forces. Commissioned as Ensign in 1763, he was promoted Captain and appointed Superintendent of Artillery and Arsenals to the Nawab of Oudh. With the rank of Major he established the Lucknow Arsenal in 1779. Under his supervision and training a number of fine arms were produced by European and native armourers, examples of which are in the collections of the Royal Armouries, Leeds. He reached the rank of Major General and died in Lucknow in 1800. For further information on Claude Martin, patron of Zoffany and founder of La Martinière College, see Howard L. Blackmore, op. cit., pp. 3-12

Category: Arms and Armour

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