The piece was intended for a pivot mounting. It is cast in one piece, the chase having 5 hoops projecting at intervals. An inscription in Chinese characters engraved by the trunnions refers to the weight of the gun and probably gives the names of the officials who supervised its manufacture; it is, however, too worn for accurate translation. A slightly flared iron tube projects rearwards from the breech end of the weapon, into which the stock or butt can be inserted. The wooden butt or tiller is preserved; it is slender and slightly curved, ending in a finial carved with a whorl design
Minimum Standard
The projecting hoops on this gun suggests the rings shrunk on the barrels of the early European iron guns of built-up construction (see No.XIX.1) and may be vestigial cf. XIX.121, 192 and 232.