Extremely Fine & Rare Cased Pair of Henry Tatham Howdah Pistols (London), 1845

A splendid and very rare cased pair of rifled howdah pistols by Henry Tatham, 37 Charing Cross, London, circa 1845. Gun and Pistol maker to the Royal family.

In their original case with coloured maker's trade label. Barrels retain 95% original bright stripy browning. Bores are bright with strong rifling. Triggerguards display most bright "peacock" bluing. The finely checkered select walnut stocks exhibit a startling 98%+ original varnish. The locks, hammers, and hinged buttcaps are finely engraved and have considerable colour hardening throughout. Stirrup rammers are crisp. Accessories include original key, rod with jags, and box of caps. Silver thumbpieces with owner's initials. 65 calibre barrels are 5 inches to patent breeches and pistols measure 12.75 inches overall.

Rifled percussion howdah pistols are very rare and this set by one of London's very best makers represents a rare opportunity for the discerning collector of fine English guns.

The howdah pistol was a large-calibre handgun, often with two or four barrels, used in India and Africa from the beginning of the nineteenth century, and into the early twentieth century, during the period of British Colonial rule. It was typically intended for defence against tigers, lions, and other dangerous animals that might be encountered in remote areas. Multi-barreled breech loading designs were later favoured over the original muzzle loading designs for Howdah pistols, because they offered faster reloading than was possible with contemporary revolvers,which had to be loaded and unloaded through a gate in the side of the frame.

The term "howdah pistol" comes from the howdah, a large platform mounted on the back of an elephant. Hunters, especially during the period of the British Raj in India, used howdahs as a platform for hunting wild animals and needed large-calibre side-arms for protection from animal attacks. The practice of hunting from the howdah basket on top of an Asian elephant was first made popular by the joint Anglo-Indian, East Indian Company during the 1790s. These earliest howdah pistols were flintlock designs, and it was not until about 60 years later percussion models in single or double barrel congfiguration were seen. By the 1890s and early 1900s cartridge firing and fully rifled howdah pistols were in normal everyday use.

Photo credit: A post from the "Society of Gentlemen Adventurers", Mark van den Boogaart
From Leeds Royal Armoury, the Hunting section - top floor