Small handgonne

[Philip]

Originally Posted by Raf

One option might be it was designed to be fired from a rowlock fixed to the bow of a camel saddle in which case the tiller makes sense.

Interesting suggestion. But from a purely functional standpoint, would such a fixture be necessary for a weapon of relatively small caliber such as this? Oarlock swivels were commonly employed for bigger weapons such as lantakas (and their European counterparts such as berços), amusettes, and the like where bulk and recoil were factors to contend with.