Indian Toradar Matchlock
Full Description:
An Indian 20-bore matchlock ‘toradar’ or ‘bandook’ with chiselled and gilt decoration. With tapering two-stage sighted steel barrel retained by silver wire barrel bands. The slightly flared muzzle and breech chiselled with designs of foliage in relief thickly covered in gold.
The breach has two bands of Devanagari inscriptions, surrounded by chiselled and gilt panels of floral patterns, and inhabited by a pair of peacocks sitting beneath a cypree tree, which stretches along the barrel to the muzzle. Steel butt mount with horn butt-plate, pricker retained by silver chains, sling loops and original steel ramrod.
Provenance
R.Wagner Jr collection (USA)
Exhibited
Higgins Armoury Museum, Worcester, MA (USA), September-December 1994