Thomas Del Mar - Armour Sale

346Cannon346A FINE BRONZE CANNON, MID-16TH CENTURY,PROBABLY SPANISHwith multi-stage barrel swelling towards the muzzle, raisedastragal bands, decorated in relief with conventional foliageenclosed within drop-shaped frames behind the muzzle and atthe top of the chase, the latter formed with a series of raisednear rectangular panels chiselled with scale ornament and withscrolls of foliage in relief over the lower portion above a bandof slender triangular foliate panels, the top of the chaseinscribed 'Taken at Portobello NouR 21 1739', second reinforcedecorated in relief with a band of alternating crowned coats-ofarmsat the top and bottom, the latter surmounted by a furtherband of scrollwork cartouches beneath scale ornament ensuite with the chase, the first reinforce with a band of triangularpanels top and bottom on a ground of matching scaleornament and charged with a crowned coat-of-arms on a , ventfield filled with two bands of running foliage, raised vent, baseringwith traces of the makers name and the probably the dateincorporating number '40', cascabel decorated with aconcentric arrangement of volutes, the outermost drawn-out toform a spiral moulding to a segmented button, a pair oftrunnions, and chiselled lifting handles formed as a pair ofmarine monsters (corroded throughout): fitted with an ironelevating mechanism added in it working life, and with a136copper-covered wooden tampion: on a later stepped woodencarriage (damaged)183cm; 72in barrelThe arms are those of Espinosa of Castille and Zúñiga ofNavarre. A number of members of this prominent familyare recorded in South America in the 16th Century,including Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterreyand Ninth Viceroy of New Spain from 1595.Puerto Bello was an important silver exporting port for theSpanish treasure fleets and under Spanish control from the16th - 18th Century. The Battle of Puerto Bello took place on21st November 1739 between the English and Spanish troopsin present day Panama. It was part of the War of Jenkins ear,so named after the Captain Robert Jenkins who supposedlyhad his ear severed by a Spanish Coastguard and laterexhibited it, pickled, to the House of Commons in 1738. Thisrallied British feeling against the Spanish and the PrimeMinister, Robert Walpole, reluctantly declared war. PuertoBello was captured with relative ease by six ships under thecommand of Admiral Edward Vernon commanding six shipson 21st November 1739. The news was receivedenthusiastically in London with God save the King being sungfor the first time and the London street named after thevictory. The war continued with a number of indecisive navalbattles and a great deal of privateering on both sides.£8000-10,000