วันอังคารที่ 28 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2555

A Study and Dating of Cannons at the Villa of the Ambassador of Portugal to Bangkok and the Andaman Cannon recently Found

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.
The pivots over the opened chamber to place on the basement or a swivel- post mount to the right direction.

The edge of the mouth of the muzzle is 1.5 inches.

Diameter of the muzzle of the Andaman cannon is 4 inches.

Coat of arm of Portugal and the symbol of the armillary sphere (  The cross line  drew from the left to the right as usual.)

The Armillary sphere or  the celestial sphere  represent the power of the Kingdom of  Portugal.

Deterioration of the coat of arm of Portugal and the Armillary sphere (the celestial sphere).

Rough sketching  of the coat of arms of Portugal and the armillary sphere on the muzzle of the cannon of the 17th century of the fort of Diu (India) , former colony of Portugal ( the longitude lined from the left to the right )




Armillary sphere diagram

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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