15 Tiger Mask/Inscription on Gun

©Collection Robin Wigington TR29

Calligraphic Tiger Mark and Inscription on one of Tipu's Flintlock Pistols. Steel, with gold (damascened) decoration, including a tiger mark, bubris and Persian quatrains. Signed and dated: Seringapatam; Sanah 1226; 1797/98 A.D. Barrel 22.8 cm

		n addition to the bubri or stylised tiger stripe, two other devices proclaim Tipu's identity on his firearms: the heart-shaped 'Haidar' mark, with the four letters of the word 'Haidar' separated by tiger stripes; and the tiger mask, composed of entwined and addorsed Persian characters which read 'asad allah al-ghalib' ('The Lion of God is Conqueror'). Tipu's green standard, of silk with gold thread embroidery, also bears the same tiger mask. Tipu and his father both employed Europeans skilled in the manufacture of firearms, and Tipu's guns incorporate many of the latest technical improvements from Europe, as well as bearing the date and place of manufacture. Tipu's firearms are unique at this period in that they record also the name of the master craftsman who made them: Sayid Ma'sum; Asad Khan Muhammad; Shaykh Muhyl Al-din. Tipu's control marks were added, and often the recommended charge also.