Been a busy week. Yesterday bought two bronze lantaka -over the 'phone- although I'd seen detailed photographs of them. Left a bid on with a friend (who has seen them) and got them more reasonably than I'd hoped. Look forward to collecting them now, though it won't be until some time in the new year.
Spent my weekly two hours minding the Church this morning, and doing various office work there. Walked down to the church, it being a lovely sunny morning, although cold. Above photo shows the nave of our church.
2 comments:
Aren't lantaka those little Brunei swivel cannon about 2 feet long with a 1 inch bore? I think the Phillipinos used to call them crocodiles because of their savage 'bite'.
Hi Carl. Yes, they were made in Indonesia and the East Indies generally, from the 16th century onward, and in all sizes from about a foot long to 6 feet long. These two, not a pair, are both 26 inches overall, and were liberated from the East Indies just before WWII. The Phillipino ones were called that because they were often decorated with bronze crocodiles cast integrally in the barrels, although I believe some of the smaller ones were cast as crocodiles with the muzzle protruding from the jaws of the beast. Regards, Mike.
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