A Rare Tibetan 32-Bore Matchlock Rifle (Me Mdá), 17th/19th Century

A Rare Tibetan 32-Bore Matchlock Rifle (Me Mdá)
17th/19th Century
With russet three-stage swamped sighted barrel octagonal at the muzzle and breech and rifled with eight grooves, inlaid with a brass line at the mid-section and towards the muzzle, and now retained by a wire binding, characteristic wooden full stock (incomplete around the match-holder, some old splits) carved with fluted borders, the fore-stock with block-shaped projection for a folding rest (missing), remains of leather pad on the right of the butt secured by dome-headed iron nails, iron sling loops, and old wooden ramrod (steel parts rust patinated and with some pitting)
91 cm. barrel