Description:

BRITISH EAST INDIA CO. BLUNDERBUSS WITH CHINESE EMBELLISHMENT, CA. 1791
Late 18th-century blunderbuss, 27" octagonal barrel, 42" overall, 1 3/4" fluted bore at the muzzle. The weapon is based on a "Brown Bess" style stock, which ends with a brass cap 2 1/4" from the muzzle, with a steel button-ended ramrod secured underneath the barrel by two brass tubes. The butt plate and trigger guard are also of brass. Two oversized steel sling swivels are attached at the trigger guard and near the muzzle. The wrist is lightly checked, and the right side of the butt is carved with a Chinese-style floral pattern. The entire length of the barrel bears a brass inlay in a geometric and floral pattern. The lock plate is dated "1791" behind the hammer, with a heart-shaped symbol bearing the initials "V E I C" - the symbol of the British East India Company. The lock plate is further marked "THOMSON". The underside of the barrel, when removed from the stock, bears two lines of incised Chinese characters, roughly translated as "Act With/Benevolence", reflecting a Confucian principle that the person wielding a weapon should show some mercy before using it. The lock is strong, and the hammer cocks and fires smartly. The stock bears a 5 1/2" crack at the muzzle end, with expected age wear, else very good. A rarely-encountered China trade weapon uniquely embellished.

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November 17, 2016 11:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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