May 13-15, 2025 Firearms and Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/13/2025
For a nearly identical example, see Stone's Glossary, pg. 332, which shows two examples that were subsequently donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Since then, this cataloguer is aware of less than five other examples. Guns like this were used with palanquins, where their compact form made them the equivalent to a coach gun. This example is a true Edo period example, with three barrels each individually fitted with notch front and rear sights and pans with brass covers, and joined by a retaining band sleeved over the muzzles and trued by a central rod. Each barrel also has a small detent at the rear, which is caught by a brass spring mounted to tang to hold prevent the barrels from rotating unless manually rotated. Brass recoil shield. Classic and iconic Japanese matchlock system with exposed trigger. Stock has three floral inserts on left side, and is the classic ergonomic form. CONDITION: Excellent. Barrels are a smooth, even chocolate patina, with some evidence of turn lines on the barrels and detent ring. Spring to prevent rotation is weak from age and use, but slots appropriately. Stock excellent with some handling marks and impressions, but solid and whole; there is one grain check on rear of grip. Mechanically fine, somewhat soft, bores excellent. An extremely rare example, virtually unknown outside of institutions.
Caliber/Bore
.40 Smoothbore