Original 19th Century Ornate Bronze Lantaka Swivel Cannon Barrel from the East Indies with Dolphin Ornaments – Circa 1800-1820 Original Items

Original Item: One of a Kind. Here we have a wonderful original bronze lantaka swivel cannon barrel, dating to about 1800-1820. While these were used throughout South East Asia, this style is from the “East Indies”, more properly known as South Eastern Asia. These were used only at close quarters, used to fire lead balls, stones and other debris while mounted on boats and other ocean going craft during the age of Sailing.

Our example measures 33 ¾” in length and has a 1 ⅛” bore, built to traditional lines it has a muzzle flared out to 3 ¾”. Bearing much cast in decoration, the cannon comes complete with an integral swivel mount for use at sea or land fortification. It also has two lovely dolphin ornaments on top. much like those seen on European cannon of the era. These originally had a wooden handle on the end, however as with most it is missing, and only the socket remains.

The cannon is very heavy, weighing in at 33lbs, a good sign as later copies are much lighter and sometimes are filled internally with foam to be sold as fakes.

Totally authentic but not too big to display in home or office.

Specifications:-
Bore Diameter: 1 ⅛”
Overall Length: 33 ¾”
Width at Trunions: 3 ¾”
Ignition System: Touch Hole
Weight: 33 lbs

Lantaka or rentaka was a type of bronze portable cannon or swivel gun, sometimes mounted on merchant vessels and warships in Maritime Southeast Asia. It was commonly equipped by native seafaring vessels from Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, and Malaysia. Lela and rentaka are known by the Malays as meriam kecil (lit. “small cannon”), the difference is that rentaka is smaller in length and bore than a lela.

The name may stem from the Malay word lantak, which means “hammering down” or “ramming down”, referencing its loading process (muzzle-loading). Ramrod in Malay is called pelantak. The Malay word rentak means “stamping the feet in anger”, “pounding the feet together”.

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