The consignor's notes indicated this hand cannon was used during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). There are vertically marked Chinese characters stamped in the body of the weapon. It is very similar in design and shape to the early primitive hand held firearms or "handgonnes" from that period and the end Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). A wooden rod/stock would have been fitted to one end. Some were quite long and required two people to operate them while smaller examples like this could be aimed and ignited by a single man. The projectiles of these earlier firearms were often as simple as appropriately sized pebbles though some lead or shaped stone bullets were even used early on. Regardless of the projectile, early examples were not tremendously useful in battle and lacked the ability to penetrate armor or often even thick clothing. However, as black powder increased in quality and better mechanisms such as the match lock became available, firearms quickly began to replace archers. Firearms were relatively easy to mass produce and far less skill was required for a soldier to be competent in their use than with a bow. This example is 9 inches long and has a bulbous section and rings.

Good. It displays a mix of dark patina and bright verdigris. The Chinese markings are lightly visible There are also a few small spots of bright oxidation. The bore is obstructed, possibly loaded.