Matchlock Gun

Unknown

late 18th–early 19th century · Steel, wood, gold, silver, pigment · Arms and Armor

Firearms were used in India starting in the fifteenth century and the matchlock remained the preferred firearms mechanism until about 1830. This sporting gun is distinctive for its delicately painted stock covered with hunting scenes, birds and other animals, and landscapes. The gold-damascened barrel is a masterpiece of forging, having both a square cross section and a square bore. It is signed by the smith Haji Sha'ban, who signed two other barrels on guns captured by the British at Lahore, in northwest India (now Pakistan), in the nineteenth century.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 18th–early 19th century

Medium

Steel, wood, gold, silver, pigment

Culture

Indian, Rajasthan or Lahore

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935