Massive Indian Matchlock or ‘Bandaq’ musket with Damascus twist barrel, gold and silver decoration

 A very large and heavy North Indian Matchlock musket ‘Bandaq’, also sometimes known as a Torador. The size and weight of this example is massive, it would almost certainly have required a musket stand to be fired, or alternatively it could have been placed in the wall of a fort as a rampart gun. The stock is deeply stamped with an armoury marking near the handgrip probably from the Rajastan/Gwalior area. The barrel is immense, the entire length with strongly visable twisted damascus patterning. The breech section and the tip decorated with gold and silver in chevron or bubri designs. The powder pan, the matchlock arm, and the trigger are all heavily covered with gold on top of a silver covering. The barrel is held to the wooden stock by cord and leather ties. 78 inches long overall, a wonderful old example.  indo persia indian gun rifle firearm longgun