GUN SPRING 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/11/2017
RARE PAIR OF HISTORIC ISLAMIC RIFLED BRONZE CANNON.This pair of circa 1870 cannon have the cypher of Khedive Ismail and the date in Arabic 1281, which in the Gregorian Calendar is 1874. Ismail Pasha was Khedive from 1863-1879 and was known as "Ismail the Magnificent". During his tenure he was known for greatly modernizing Egypt and Sudan, investing heavily in economic development and expansion of the country's borders in Africa. The cannons are extremely well made and bores measure about 85mm (3.4"). Rifling is of the "La Hitte" system for use of zinc studded shells, which an orig example is included. One gun above the Arabic cypher inscribed "ATBARA". Atbara is a town in the Nile Valley in what is now Sudan and there was an English/Egyptian victory over Dervish Sudanese rebels in 1898. Could this pair of cannon be trophies from the Dervish War? Val Forgett, Jr. originally bought these guns and all orig cannons that were owned by Bapty & Company, London, who have provided props for movies since 1918. One of these cannon apparently appears in an opening scene of "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962, which Bapty & Co provided firearms as props also. Guns are in beautiful condition with crisp bores, mounted on wheeled stepped carriages of a later vintage and ready to be fired. Rifled bores of this vintage are rarely better. SIZE: PROVENANCE: Batpy & Company, London; Val Forgett, Jr., Ex-Springfield Arsenal, LLC Artillery Collection. CONDITION: About 46" x 20" overall with height of about 3'. Tubes are 38" overall with about 32" bbl lengths and trunnions measure about 11" across. Trunnions are each marked in Arabic numbers, weights and SNs. Markings are light but mostly discernible on bbl breech as can be seen in photos. Trunnion markings are clear. 51206-4 JS (15,000-20,000)