Quote:
Originally Posted by cannonmn
... Also thanks to Fernando for posting those "illegal" photos of the Lisbon museum! What a waste the Portuguese gov't is making, all those rare wonderful cannons and to refuse to share the images with the world? Tragic..
|
Well, no more tragic than usual ... unfortunately

. Somehow a backward attitude but then, a zillion museums out there also still don't allow picture taking ... some of them only allowing pictures without flash or tripod. The pictures i posted here of the Museum cannon yard were not "illegal"; there is no restriction for picturing in the open space ... only inside the rooms. They say that, if one is interested in taking pictures in the rooms, a requirement must be addressed to the Museum Director (Colonel)

.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cannonmn
... The curious mortar in the last photo is certainly a Portuguese bronze mortar, but mounted on what appears to be an Indonesian-motif locally-made mortar bed. That's one of those "to die for" pieces; extraordinary.
|
I have received a very attentive email from a (she) Sub-Lieutenat of the museologic section. She passed me the whole inventory description tag:
A small bronze howitzer of gross calibre dated from 1773, cast by Bartolomeu Dias da Costa , to be used essentially in curve shot. Provided with trunnions and wings in form of dolphins. On the breech are the Royal Crest and the insription "Mel. GOMES De CARVALHO E Sē TENE GERAL DA ARTra DO Rno" and below " O Tene CORONEL BARTOLOMEU DA COSTA EM LXa 1773".
It is mounted in an pompous bed of polichromed wood, tipicaly Chinese, sided by two lions.
This fire mouth was sent to Macau and, by the end of XVIII century, was returned, mounted on the mentioned bed.
Caliber 15 cms.
Date: XVIII century (1773)
Origin:Portugal.