Busacca Gallery

This solid bronze rail cannon weighs 130 pounds and measures just over 50 inches in height. It was made around 1700, probably in Portugal. Cannons like this were mounted on the rails of battleships and packed with smaller 50 caliber shot; as passing ships came within close contact, the cannons would open fire, killing as many as possible on the decks. It is also known that the rail cannons would be packed with anything metal: nails, dinning ware, or even granite, quartz, or any type of stone material that would damage the other crew. I purchased the cannon from a dealer in Asia and was told it was retrieved from an illegal salvage operation in Asia -- one of 38 cannons found in the shipwreck. The penalty for salvaging these ships is death; but a few dare to risk being caught and executed. This cannon is in excellent shape, with only a little spot of electrolysis damage at the muzzle, from two opposite metals (bronze and iron) being in close contact in salt water. The detail is extraordinary and very rare -- museum quality, with sea horses, a crocodile at the breach sight, and a rare double-touch hole for two wicks, though only one has been drilled out. I had a professional try to clean the metal in an ultrasonic cleaner for 10 hours, but it still has much of the sandy sea floor caught in its beautiful detail. The cannon is Guaranteed Authentic. The stand also goes with the cannon, but the stand is not Authentic.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannon

A cannon is any tubular piece of artillery, that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch a projectile over a distance. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can usually be translated as tube, cane, or reed. In modern times, cannon has fallen out of common usage, usually replaced by "guns" or "artillery", if not a more specific term, such as "mortar" or "howitzer". First used in China, cannon were among the earliest forms of gunpowder artillery, and over time replaced siege engines—among other forms of aging weaponry—on the battlefield. The first hand cannon appeared during the 1260 Battle of Ain Jalut between the Egyptians and Mongols in the Middle East. The first cannon in Europe were probably used in Iberia, during the Reconquista, in the 13th century, and English cannon were first deployed in the Hundred Years' War, at the Battle of Crécy, in 1346. It was during this period, the Middle Ages, that cannon became standardized, and more effective in both the anti-infantry and siege roles. After the Middle Ages most large cannon were abandoned in favor of greater numbers of lighter, more maneuverable pieces. In addition, new technologies and tactics were developed, making most defenses obsolete; this led to the construction of star forts, specifically designed to withstand artillery bombardment and the associated siege tactics. Cannon also transformed naval warfare: the Royal Navy, in particular, took advantage of their firepower. As rifling became more commonplace, the accuracy of cannon was significantly improved, and they became deadlier than ever, especially to infantry. In World War I, the majority of all deaths were caused by cannon; they were also used widely in World War II. Most modern cannon are similar to those used in the Second World War, except for heavy naval guns, which have been replaced by missiles. In particular, autocannon have remained nearly identical to their World War II counterparts.