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DAIKUHARA MUNETAKE (ACTIVE 1860-65)
Pair of carbines
c. 1800 - 1865Steel, iron, mahogany, lacquer, brass, gold, silver | 6.5 x 15.5 cm; 103.3 cm (Length) (whole object) | RCIN 38453
Firearms were unknown in Japan until 1543, when they were introduced by the Portuguese. On these rifles, the combination of a dragon in clouds and a tiger in bamboo signifies East and West. The guns were presented by Tokugawa envoys who came to Britain in 1865 to study the country’s military technology.
