<p>A 14th century illustration of a Chinese cannon, or eruptor, which fired proto-shells as cast iron bombs. This illustration was featured in the 14th century military treatise of the <i>Huolongjing</i>, edited and compiled by Liu Ji and Jiao Yu, with the preface added in 1412. This specific cannon was called the "flying-cloud thunderclap eruptor" (feiyun pilipao). The smaller shells did not have an exact fit with the bore, but a kind of wad or cradle for the is shown.
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This illustration also appears on page 266 of Joseph Needham's book <i>Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 7.</i>
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:PericlesofAthens" title="User:PericlesofAthens">PericlesofAthens</a>
2007-08-11
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span> (My book)