Presented is an exquisitely crafted hand-tooled replica of a Civil War Armstrong breech-loading siege
cannon as used during the Civil War. This object reminds one of work crafted by Prisoners of War while incarcerated
by the British in Dartmoor Prison 1775-1825. We believe the cannon is a contemporary recreation done in this style
and is handcrafted out of stockyard bone using the same techniques as 200 years ago. The model’s carriage is
built from fine quality rosewood with various bone bolts and towing rings.
CONDITION: It has an age crack on its right side,
and the left wheel has one small chip and a 3/4″ piece missing which do not show when placed at the bottom. Our price
has been reduced to reflect these minor imperfections. The spokes and wheels are hand-carved, and the barrel and breech mechanism
appear to have been turned. Numerous individual pieces of polished bone make up this work of art. Some forms of
bone are also referred to as Dieppe Ivory, is a remembrance of times long past.This is a very important piece of art representing the Civil War Period,
and should appeal to those that seek something of unusual quality and rarity. It is priced accordingly.DIMENSIONS:Length of barrel 7″Length of breech 1 1/2″Length overall 12 1/2″Extreme width
3 3/4″>Extreme height
5 1/2″Diameter Wheel 2 5/8″Weight: 1
Lbs 4 oz
BRIEF HISTORY: The Armstrong was a large
rifled cannon invented by Englishman, Sir William George Armstrong in 1854. It’s most noticeable feature was the series
of graduated coils over a lengthwise tube, causing it to look like a giant collapsible telescope pulled out in overlapping
circles. Because exploding guns were a constant problem, the Armstrong design was a huge success. Armstrong’s
fired a grooved projectile which weighed 12 pounds out a distance of 2,200 yards. 3 inch breech-loading Armstrong’s
fired a 12 pound projectile out a distance of 2,100 yards. Guns and howitzers differed in several aspects. A gun was a long-barreled, heavy
weapon which fired solid shot at long range with a low degree of elevation using a large powder charge. A howitzer had a shorter barrel and could throw shots or shells at a shorter range but at higher
elevation with smaller powder charges. Howitzers were lighter, more maneuverable weapons than guns.
HISTORY OF BONE ART:The art of French-Prisoner-of-War is best
remembered for their model of sailing ships of war. But they also did other carvings to while a way the time. Models and items
like this were made from dried and bleached mutton bones from their meals, whalebone ivory and ‘Dieppe Ivory’.
Whalebone was a common commodity in England at the time it was a softer material to carve than bone it was used for corsetry
and button manufacturer. Whalebone was introduced to the prisoners by the guards, who had a ready market for the finished
models. HM Prison, Dartmoor was built at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, to house prisoners of war, it later became a convict
prison – perhaps the most notorious the world.
