A lacquered wood, part-gilt steel colonial revolving flintlock pistol

Probably India, Goa, 18th century

L. 25 cm

This pistol has wo rotating octaviate barrels, the wood of the handle painted red. The bottom of the stock depicts a intrically detailed mask. Its teeth are carefully crafted and set in bone, with eyes made of mother-of-pearl and carefully engraved manes in gilded bronze. The brass case and its mechanism reveal French influence. The mascaron on the handle highlights represents Vishnu, the second figure of the Hindu divine trinity, who transforms into a half-man half-lion figure called Narasimha in his fourth avatar.

In 1566 Damião de Góis (Damiaan van der Goes (1502-1574), published his Crónica do felicíssimo Rei Dom Manuel, where he referred to the manufacture of armoury in India. The Hindus quickly made better weapons by combining Hindu culture with Western techniques. Indo-Portuguese weapons are extremely rare. Similar examples are in the Miltary Museum of Lisbon and the Military Museum of Porto.