Beschreibung:

A PAIR OF SMALL FRENCH BRONZE CANNON in 16th Century style, each with sighted barrel of slender tapering multi-stage form decorated in relief with mouldings and, on the first reinforce, with the full French royal arms, and on the chase with a cartouche bearing the crescent device and monogram of King Henri II and his mistress Diane de Poitiers, engraved on a scroll in front of the latter Henri's motto 'Donec Totum Impleat Orb[e]m' below 'La Coquette' on one barrel, and 'La Mutine' on the other, riveted naturalistic dolphins, and plain trunnions and cascabel (one barrel repaired at the breech), on original green painted iron-mounted wooden carriages with spoked wheels and open trails, and complete with two green painted wooden powder magazines (one lid missing) and ten various manoeuvering, cleaning and loading tools (one incomplete) 23 5/8in. barrels, 1in. bores (12)