Print this page

Quiver, Armguards and Belt from the Armoury of Tipu Sultan

Quiver, armguards and belt from the armoury of Tipu Sultan, taken from Seringapatnam in AD 1799. Quiver, armguards and belt from the armoury of Tipu Sultan, taken from Seringapatnam in AD 1799.

In April 2015, Bonhams in London auctioned a collection of armoury originally taken from the fortress of Seringapatam (Srirangapatna), the last refuge of Tipu Sultan of Mysore, after the British-Indian army had taken the site in AD 1799.

Apart from a quiver, armguards and a belt, the collection included sabres, gem-set trophy swords, exquisite quilted helmets, blunderbusses, fowling pieces, sporting guns, pistols, and a three-pounder bronze cannon. Many of these items were adorned with designs based on the image of the tigre, hence Tipu Sultan's nickname "the tiger of Mysore".

The quiver, armguards and belt are decorated with gold thread embroidery and spangles, on a red ground.

See also the saddle cloth, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, also reportedly from Tipu Sultan's armoury, or the quilted helmet, which was sold at the same Bonhams auction.

Digital source (retrieved 19 December 2016).

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 19 December 2016).

WV

Last modified on Tuesday, 20 December 2016 18:56