12 Tiger Detail on Sword Blade

Licensed by the Trustees of the British Museum © Copyright The British Museum

Tipu Sultan's sword, late eighteenth century Iron, with gold and silver mounts and decoration; the steel blade decorated (koftgari) with a tiger motif and tiger stripe. Length 97.5 cm Unknown Indian Artist

		ipu's finest blades, the so-called Nuggur blades, were made at Haidarnaggar (Bednur). On a number of Tipu's swords, such as those at Powis Castle, near Welshpool; British Museum, London; and Museo Stibbert Museum, Florence, tigers form the hilt, with tiger pommel, tiger quillons and langet. A tiger motif on the blade, as at Ipswich Museum, and the Wallace Collection, London, occurs less frequently. Each tiger is of a different design. 'The Tiger and tigers head within denotes the certainty of it having belonged to royalty as none but Princes are allowed to introduce it,' wrote Lord Mornington, the Governor General, in 1800. Many of Tipu's swords and firearms bear flowing Persian inscriptions, contained within bubris, or subtly decorating a blade or a barrel. Three examples from sword blades are given here, translated from the Persian: i) 'My blade that lays down the foundation of victory is the lightning that flashes through the lives of the infidels. The Sultan of faith Haidar relies in his conquests upon my help'. ii) 'My conquering sword was as the lightning to the hearts of the infidel. Verily I have given victory to you O Mohammed, even a splendid and a glorious victory. The Tiger of God is victorious'. iii) 'Have pity on us, grant us forgiveness, have compassion for us. Thou are our Lord: giver us victory over the people who have disbelieved.' A sword with gold mounts, said to have been used by Tipu himself in 1799, was seized in Mysore in December 1985, and remains in official CBI custody. Although this sword lacks any of the characteristic tiger motifs associated with Tipu's personal possessions, an associated hand-written label reads : "From Gordon Castle. A sword of Tippoo Saib given by Sir Arthur Wellesley Esq to Charles 4th Duke of Richmond with also the Sword Belt". A further (type-written) note records that the sword was purchased from Gordon Castle (near Fochabers in Morayshire), possibly in August 1838, although the note is not entirely legible. This would have been soon after the death of the last Duke of Gordon and the inheritance of the estate, in 1836, by the 5th Duke of Richmond & Lennox. A third note (type-written) records that the sword was "later" presented to the Maharaja of Mysore by the Duke of Richmond, but no date is mentioned, nor is it clear to which Duke of Richmond this refers.