Tipu Sultan's two artistic jeweled Tiger heads (1799) - a legacy of British India history

Navrang India January 11, 2021

Jeweled tiger head, Tipu Sultan of Mysore. in.pinterest.com

Above Image : Finial from the throne of Tipu Sultan, Mysore , ca.1790 from the Al Thani collection

jeweled tiger head from Tipu Sultan's throne India.in.pinterest.com


Tiger head, Tipu Sultan. pinterest.co.uk

Above image: Tipu Sultan's gem-encrusted gold tiger head once the centerpiece of Tipu's jeweled octagonal throne. Presented to British king William IV (1765-1837) by Lord Steward  the East India company (1831). It is one among the spoils of  final Angelo-Mysore war (1799), Srirangapatna (now in Karnataka), India. (from the Royal Collection Trust,1799). Tipu Sultan never used the throne. .........

Tipu Sultan never liked the   intimidating  British company officials and the army; he was  always  ready to confront  them face to face. The courageous warrior and ruler of the Mysore kingdom (now part of Karnataka, etc), Tipu  Sultan (20 November 1750 – 4 May 1799), son of Hyder Ali   firmly  followed his dictum “I would ‘rather live one day as a tiger than a lifetime as a sheep”  till  the last drop of  his blood  fell on the soil of Srirangapatna, his capital.   

Srirangapatna, Karnataka state. Maps of India.com

Since tiger is a powerful and fearsome animal known for its fighting qualities, no doubt, Tipu Sultan enthusiastically adopted the tiger as a personal symbol of his rule. One can the representations of tiger in many of his personal items - decorated throne, weapons of various kinds and armor; the tiger stripe motif was painted on walls and used in uniforms. It is said  he had kept live tigers to guard his palace. His mechanical tiger was a part of this personal display,

The Siege of Seringapatam 1799. India in.pinterest.com

Above image: The 4th Angelo-Mysore war of 1798-1799. The Siege of Seringapatam (5 April – 4 May 1799) was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore headed by Tipu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali. Wellington (lord Wellesley) served as a Colonel in the battle and got a name.......................................

Tipu  died in May 1799  in  the final Angelo-Mysore war.   It is believed his gold plated throne is the most symbolic artistic objects of Tipu’s kingdom and of his passion. Known for tenacity and valor, Tipu never winked his eyes when the English company was on the move  in the southern part of India grabbing lands  from the gullible Indian Maharajahs one by one. He vowed to sit on the throne only after the defeat of English by his forces. But the British, with better tactics and strategies armed with far better firing power, finally emerged victorious.

Tipu Sultan of Mysore (1750-1799). en.wikipedia.org

A surprising fact about the famous ruler of Mysore Tipu Sultan’s second jeweled gold tiger head is its accidental discovery in August 2010 after a long span of more than 200 years. It is a precious gem-encrusted gold finial from the exceptionally decorated custom-made Tipu’s throne. Reemerged in the home of a Scottish family that had owned it for about 200 years, the tiger- head in the throne drew the attention  of many famous jewelers across the world for reasons of its 18th century workmanship and quality of precious stones used in it. Among the jeweled eight tiger heads set in the original throne, only three had survived; the first one was sold for £389,600 on 2nd April by2009  by Bonhams. Auctioneers Bonhams  said. 'It lay at the Featherstone Castle, Northumberland, where it was listed in an 1843 inventory of the late Baron Wallace of Knarsdale (1768–1844), who oversaw the East India Company, and afterwards was hidden away in a bank's vault. That  the two missing tiger heads were reunited by the auction company after a lapse of 200 years, was a great piece of news among the antique collectors.  These two pieces were known for their amazing beauty and intricate artwork. The appearance of two tiger heads from Tipu's throne obviously made the historians and antique freaks  curious about them and their origin. The official of Bonhams said, ''It is an extraordinary privilege to be selling a second such wonderful finial from Tipu Sultan's throne......'To sell one is amazing, but to have two in less than two years is almost unbelievable.''.

Powis Castle, Powis. Wales, en.wikipedia.org

Above image: Powis Castle, originally built c. 1200 as a fortress of the Welsh Princes of Powys. Grand country mansion near Welsh pool; the seat of Earl of Powis. The smaller  Tipu's jeweled  tiger head  is housed in this castle. ................

Windsor castle, England. royal.uk

Above image: Windsor Castle largest occupied castle in the world is more than 900 years old. It is still a working palace today where the queen uses it a private home. It is here, she does her official and formal duty as a royal head. The large jeweled tiger head of Tipu Sultan is housed here.................... 

The tiger head  made of beaten gold sheet on a wooden core is  engraved overall with large stripes – bubris, the distinguishing mark of Tipu and his court and further, one can  notice  the Tiger Stripes ‘and Tiger Seal Calligraphy on the forehead of the Tiger. The large gold tiger head from the front of the throne platform now resides at Windsor Castle along with a jeweled bird  Puma (Indian eagle) which was presented to Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III. Another surviving finial can be found at Powis Castle, acquired by the second Lady Clive in India

Symbolic of happy omen in Asia. In the ancient period, Romans and Persians considered the sighting of some birds as the sign of good omen, so are the Hindus in India (Garudan, a  different species of Eagle with a white neck ). Garuda, the mount of God Vishnu,  is a .legendary bird or bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain fait.  Since the soaring of eagle is amazing, it is symbolic of majesty and power. The American official  emblem has an eagle. 

Huma bird (Indian eagle). in.pinterest.com

Above image: Symbolic of happy omen in Asia, in the ancient period, Romans and Persians considered the sighting of some birds as the sign of good omen, so are the Hindus in India (Garudan, a  different species of Eagle with a white neck ). Garuda, the mount of God Vishnu,  is a .legendary bird or bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faith.  Since the soaring of eagle is amazing, it is symbolic of majesty and power. The American official  emblem has an eagle. 

These jeweled tiger heads  of exceptional quality and of  antique value  roughly 220 years old closely associated with the throne of ruler Tipu Sultan  are without doubt of the greatest historical significance as they belong to the early colonial period as well as  the transitional period  of Mysore kingdom to a new head. 
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