Bidya
Sriwattanasarn
Faculty of
Arts and Sciences,
Dhurakij
Pundit University.
History and Physical Analysis
Last
month, the author was in touch with by an anonymous who owned the ancient cannon accidentally discovered from the fishery in the Andaman Sea, not
far from Ranong Province, the upper
Southern Thailand: part of the ancient sea route of the Portuguese during 16-19 Centuries.
Fundamentally, the mentioning cannon is classified as the Cast Bronze Verso type. The Cast Bronze
Versos were generally used by Spaniard and Portuguese bombardiers
in their forts and ships. Below the
mount of the muzzle, there are the coat of arms of Portuguese and the symbol of
the armillary sphere (celestial sphere). The one that found in
the Andaman sea is reportedly 437 kilograms of weight with 2.5
meters of length.
Depending on my own study and comparison, the method is based on photos and
documents approaching from many sources,
the author
believed that the Andaman cannon might be casted in
the lately period of the 16th century.
In
Thailand, There are at least 2 the Cast Bronze Versos has been positioned in
front of the Villa of the Ambassador of Portugal to Bangkok at the similar size of the Andaman cannon.
Result of the physical analysis, traces of
deterioration on the muzzle, especially, over the edge of the coat of arms of Portugal and the armillary sphere could be
viewed rather clearly deep intoits texture.
Succinct
chronology of the Portuguese Cannon
Type
and development of Spain and Portuguese
cannons comparison with western cannons in the Mediterrenean.(http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/guilmartin.com/Weapons.html)
1. (From left to right) The Spain- Portuguese Wrought-iron Versowith Removable wrought-iron Chamber.
2.
(From left to right)
Spain -Portuguese Wrought-Iron Verso in the 15th century, similar
to the Falconetes.
3.
(From left to right)
Spain -Portuguese Cast bronze Verso in early the 16th
century.
Reconstruction of half bronze cast cannon of western Mediterranean from archives of the 16th
century.
The
sketch of the Esmeril of Spain, its muzzle was similar to the Farangi
of Turkey and the Moschetti of Venice.
The
Morterete of Spain in the middle of the 16th Century looked
very similar to the Bombardelle of
Venice and Darbezy of
Turkey.
The
Portuguese swivel verso at the British Museum.
Below
the mouth of the muzzle, the coat of arms of Portugal and the symbol of the Armillary
sphere with the longitude began from the upper left
to the lower right.
An
armillary sphere is a model of the celestrial sphere. The drawing is from
Christoph Clavius commentary on the book De Sphaera from 1581.
(http://eat-a-bug.blogspot.com/2009/10/armillary-sphere.html)
The opened chamber verso found at Dhlo,
Dambarare, Portuguese Settlement in Zimbabwe. ( Market , Feira and Fort
in Zimbabwe1693.)
One
of the Portuguese cannon (verso) in
front of the villa of the ambassador of Portugal to Bangkok has been
conserved to protect any further deterioration.
The
symbol of the coat of arms of Portugal
and the armillary sphere on the muzzle of a
Portuguese cannon in front of the villa of the
ambassador of Portugal to Bangkok. The
cross line that represent the global
longitude mostly began
from the upper left to the lower right, for this one, it drew from the right
to the left instead.
The
Portuguese opened chamber cannon (verso)
from the Andaman,
437
kg.
Weight with 2.50 meters length .
Movable
chamber of the Andaman cannon.
Deterioration of the coat of arm of Portugal and the Armillary sphere (the celestial sphere).
Armillary
sphere diagram
.svg%5B1%5D.png)
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Portugal (1640-1910)
Coat of arms of Portugal on the present day Portugal flag are composed
of red escutcheons decorated with 7 golden closed
castles[1] and symbol of 5
silver bezants, represented the authority of the Portuguese suzerain to
issue currency. Beneath the coat of arms is the symbol of power of Portugal
over the world, the armillary sphere.
Conclusion
From the
photos analysis, the severe deteriorated condition,
especially, over the coat of arms and the armillary sphere of
the Andaman Portuguese cannon, indicates itself as the age of the positioning ones at the villa of
the ambassador of Portugal to Bangkok, Thailand, in the exactly lately the 16th century.
References
-Bidya
Sriwattanasarn,
ตราแผ่นดินโปรตุเกสที่หน้าจั่วของจวนเอกอัครราชทูตโปรตุเกส ณ กรุงเทพฯ(Portuguese
Coat of Arms at the Villa of the Ambassador of Portugal in Bangkok), in http://siamportuguesestudy.blogspot.com/2011/05/portuguese-coat-of-arms-at-villa-of.html
May
17 , 2011
.......................................................ปืนใหญ่หน้าสถานทูตโปรตุเกส2
(Cannons in the Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok ii) in http://siamportuguesestudy.blogspot.com/2011/03/2.html, March 2, 2011
-JOHN FRANCIS GUILMARTIN JR.,
THE WEAPONS OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY WARFARE AT SEA, http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/guilmartin.com/Weapons.html
-DIU FORT
CANNONS AND HOWITZER GUNS.wmv
[1]
Symbol of 7 castles have been used since the
reign of Sebastião I, 1557-1578. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_I)
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