POST MEDIEVAL TOY

1675

Copper alloy toy gun Post-Medieval dating 1675-1725 AD. Cast barrel of a toy cannon, cf. Forsyth and Egan 2005 Type 3 design 1. The gun is modelled with strongly defined, if not exaggerated features, including a round cascabel flattened behind, reinforcing rings to either side of a drilled touch hole of diameter 1.7mm, trunnions mounted on a further sharply defined reinforcing ring, and a prominently collared and flared muzzle of bore diameter 5mm. Turning rings appear to sharpen details at the back end, particularly on the underside as used. This would have been mounted on a separate carriage and was designed to fire a small lead slug using a gunpowder charge. Unlike many examples, this object has not been burst while in use. The object has a dark brown patina but is otherwise in good condition. The length is 97mm, the width is 25mm, and the weight 71.99g. Compare SWYOR-2A67F3 and IOW-3B5F14 which note that: "The cannon is probably a working model and miniature cannons such as this example may not have been toys for children but may have been used by adults." and that "The terminology used in this description has been taken from Blackmore 1976: 216. Blackmore, H. L. 1976. The Armouries of the Tower of London. Vol. 1, Ordnance. London: HMSO."See also SOM-A38A21 which notes that "Forsyth and Egan (2005:80-81) discuss toy cannons and suggest those that actually fired were very popular by the end of the 16th century but the majority show features that were developed in 17th - 18th century. This example is most similar to their Type 2 Design 1 (p.82, 1.5) although with a much more projecting cascabel and raised ring at the trunnions. They suggest this type is from the late 17th to early 18th century."