Description
Tipu's Tiger is one of the Victoria and Albert Museum's most enduringly famous and fascinating objects. It was made for Tipu Sultan. the ruler of Mysore, who was killed by the British in 1799 during the final onslaught on his island capital, Seringapatam. After the victory, his treasury was seized and its precious contents rapidly divided between the soldiers of the East India Company army. The spectacular wooden tiger survived, however. Discovered in the music room of the palace, it was shipped to the Company's new musuem in London in 1800.This book tells the story of the tiger's travels from India to the V&A showing how it has inspired artists and authors, and frightened or entertained the public since its first appearance in England.
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Tipu’s Tiger is one of the V&A’s most enduringly famous and fascinating objects. Commissioned in the 1790s by Tipu Sultan of Mysore, India, this extraordinary wooden automaton of a tiger devouring a British soldier was a symbol of the Sultan’s authority and a reflection of his opposition to the British. After Tipu was killed in 1799, the tiger, which houses pipes that simulate its roar and the shrieks of its victim, was shipped to London, where it has inspired artists and writers, frightened children, and entertained the public ever since. This new book tells the story of the Tiger, and also illustrates and discusses some of the most splendid of Tipu Sultan’s other treasures – his throne, textiles and spectacular weapons, all decorated with the ruler’s iconic tiger forms and patterns.Tipu’s Tiger is a perennial favorite of visitors to the V&A
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