Tiger of Mysore's Indian palace set to sell for £1million

[Hindustani78]

The spoils of Empire: Bounty looted by Wellington's men from defeated Tiger of Mysore's Indian palace set to sell for £1million | Daily Mail Online

• 30-year-old Duke of Wellington fought Tipu Sultan as an army general in 1799
• Tipu was killed in the defeat and soldiers plundered the city and palace for jewels and riches
• Modern British collector was 'obsessed with' Sultan, acquiring works over 30 years
• Sale of his collection could fetch £1million with personal gun tipped to get £150,000 alone

By James Dunn For Mailonline and Bournemouth News And Picture Service

Published: 12:39 GMT, 17 April 2015 | Updated: 18:19 GMT, 17 April 2015

They are the remnant of a bygone era, when Sultan's ruled one of the world's oldest empires, living in a forgotten age of opulence and extravagance in India's immense palace estates.

But when the Duke of Wellington 's forces defeated and killed Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, in 1799, troops plundered the city and the palace, returning to Britain with gold, jewellery, arms, armour, clothing and even Tipu's grand throne.

This month, a collection of the historic artefacts from this exotic empire will go on sale at London auction house Bonhams, and experts expect them to fetch a total of around £1million.

Pure opulence: A gem-set sword with pink, green and red stones and an ornate tiger's head pommel is expected to sell for £80,000.

This rare quilted helmet with a gold koftgari bar, incredibly artistic stitching and the wonderfully bright colours of India is set to sell for £35,000

Great adversaries: The Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, left, and army general, Arthur Wellesley, right, fought in India in 1799. War was waged after spies intercepted a letter from the Sultan proposing an alliance with the French. Wellesley went on to become the Duke of Wellington, defeating Napolean in the Battle of Waterloo. But he earned his stripes fighting in Mysore and rushed to check the sultan's pulse when he was killed

The item tipped to attract the biggest price is the Sultan's personal sporting gun, a four-foot-long rifle made by his own armoury, tipped to make £150,000 alone.

It was given as a present to Lord Cornwallis, the Governor General of India, after the fall of Tipu and passed on to the Earls of Pembroke, staying in the family for 200 years.

A gold-coloured gem-set sword with an artistic tiger's head pommel showing the craftsmanship of 18th-century Mysore is expected to sell for £80,000.

An archer's set, made for Tipu, includes a beautiful gold and red embroidered quiver and arm guards, a belt with a finely-forged buckle and seven decorated arrows. It's expected to sell for £60,000.

The collection also includes a rare quilted helmet with a gold koftgari bar, stitched with a finely detailed pattern and the wonderfully bright colours associated with India, which is set to sell for £35,000.

One of the prize pieces is an artistically carved hardwood tiger-paw from the foot of Tipu's throne - the only surviving piece of the once magnificent structure - which could make £20,000.

Bidders can buy a piece of history with a Mughal gem-set jade plaque, complete with a note stating it was found with the body of Tipu Sultan in 1799 after he died on the battlefield.

Other items up for sale include pistols, helmets, swords, intricately embroidered clothing and even a bronze field cannon used to defend the fortress at Seringapatam.

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Atop of an empire: This historic picture shows what Tipu's magnificent throne would have looked like before he was toppled. On sale in the auction is the only surviving piece of the magnificent throne, a decoratively carved tiger foot with a silver plaque celebrating the victory

 

[Hindustani78]

Foot of the throne: A carved wood tiger paw from the foot of the throne of Tipu Sultan, expected to sell for £20,000

Medal of honour: The silver plaque atop the foot of the throne commemorates the victory over one of the greatest sultans in history

A golden age: This embroidered quiver and arm guards, belt and seven decorated arrows, made for Tipu, is expected to sell for £60,000

The items were collected over 30 years by British Tipu expert Robin Wigington, who even turned part of his house in Stratford Upon Avon into a museum and allowed some of them to be displayed in exhibitions worldwide.

He sold his collection to a private collector in 2005 and they have now been put up for sale again.

Claire Penhallurick, head of Islamic and Indian art at Bonhams, said: 'It is very unusual for there to be an auction of so many artefacts that once belonged to Tipu. It is the product of one man who collected for nearly 30 years.

'Robin Wigington was an arms and armour gentleman dealer who collected these pieces over three decades. He was obsessed with Tipu - he published pieces and loaned items to major exhibitions.

'In the end he built his own museum at his home in Stratford Upon Avon which was open for six years, during which time it won an award for the best British museum.

'One of the highlights of this sale is one of the feet that Tipu's throne rested on.

'Quite a few of the items are signed and dated by the manufacturer, making them incredibly important historical documents because it allows other items from the same era to be dated.

'Many of the pieces have previous metal inlays and incredibly decorative touches. It's very obvious they're Tipu's pieces.

'Wigington had an eye for quality and he collected the best of the best. These items are not just arms and armour but far more than that - they're works of art.

 

[SHAMK9]

They should be returned to Pakistan as indians are ashamed of their muslim heritage

 

[Hindustani78]

'Tipu Sultan was one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, but interest in him comes from all over the world.'

'He was the first adversary of General Arthur Wellesley, who went on to become the Duke of Wellington.

'It would be fair to say Wellesley learned the skills he later displayed at the Battle of Waterloo fighting against Tipu, although Tipu gave the Brits a good run for their money.

'After the fall of Tipu the British took over his palace and some of his items were divided up among officers.

'A series of auctions were held over three days in Seringapatam where more treasures were sold.

'Some of these items we are selling could have come from these auctions, or they could have been gifted to officers at the time.

'Many of the pieces have 200-year provenances in the UK.

'Some were personal weapons of Tipu's - one such is a huge gun with a crouching tiger carved into the butt which was gifted to Lord Cornwallis after the fall of Seringapatam.

Mughal gem-set jade plaque with note stating it was found with the body of Tipu Sultan, left, and A metal-thread embroidered quilted velvet quirass, expected to sell for £20,000, right. The items will be on sale at the Bonhams auction on April 21

They should be returned to Pakistan as indians are ashamed of their muslim heritage

You are wrong in here.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Instead of auctioning it, the Brits should hand it over to Pakistan or India. You shouldn't auction items you have plundered!!!

 

[Hindustani78]

Instead of auctioning it, the Brits should hand it over to Pakistan or India. You shouldn't auction items you have plundered!!!

Why Pakistan ?

I'm a Bengali, says Tipu Sultan's descendant
"After Tipu was killed by the British in Mysore, his 12 sons and relatives, a group of 300 people, were sent to Kolkata, so as to prevent the family from becoming a rallying point of revolt against British rule," Husain Shah told IANS in an interview.

"Here they were in a distant land among the people of a different language and history whom it would be difficult to provoke by invoking the heroism of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan."

Bespectacled and grey hair brushed back, Husain Shah, 70, is the quintessential elderly Bengali man next door. But within him he carries a historic legacy, as a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, the king of Mysore who valiantly fought the British.


'We are born and brought up in Kolkata now for many generations; so that makes me a Bengali,'' says Husain Shah of his identity. He's a businessman, the owner of an agency that supplies fuel to retailers.

Tipu was the grandfather of Husain Shah's great grandfather Anwar Shah, who has a major thoroughfare named after him in Kolkata.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Why Pakistan ?

I'm a Bengali, says Tipu Sultan's descendant
"After Tipu was killed by the British in Mysore, his 12 sons and relatives, a group of 300 people, were sent to Kolkata, so as to prevent the family from becoming a rallying point of revolt against British rule," Husain Shah told IANS in an interview.

"Here they were in a distant land among the people of a different language and history whom it would be difficult to provoke by invoking the heroism of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan."

Bespectacled and grey hair brushed back, Husain Shah, 70, is the quintessential elderly Bengali man next door. But within him he carries a historic legacy, as a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, the king of Mysore who valiantly fought the British.


'We are born and brought up in Kolkata now for many generations; so that makes me a Bengali,'' says Husain Shah of his identity. He's a businessman, the owner of an agency that supplies fuel to retailers.

Tipu was the grandfather of Husain Shah's great grandfather Anwar Shah, who has a major thoroughfare named after him in Kolkata.

Indians like to ignore the fact that there were Muslim states in India, and that they were ruled by Muslims

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

Now its up to millionaires to buy Tipu Sultan collection. I think Pakistan should bid first for it then Indians will respond with higher bids. Nonetheless it is very historical collection and should return to South Asia.

 

[Hindustani78]

Indians like to ignore the fact that there were Muslim states in India, and that they were ruled by Muslims

No one in India ever deny about any Muslim ruler and regarding being ruled then i would say that all those were alliances

 

[Indus Falcon]

No one in India about any Muslim ruler and regarding being ruled then i would say that all those were alliances

Huh?? English please!!! OR can someone pls translate what he just said?

 

[Hindustani78]

Now its up to millionaires to buy Tipu Sultan collection. I think Pakistan should bid first for it then Indians will respond with higher bids. Nonetheless it is very historical collection and should return to South Asia.

Seriously you Pakistanis never leave any chance to increase business of British.

 

[Indus Falcon]

Seriously you Pakistanis never leave any chance to increase business of British.

ISI will do it

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

Seriously you Pakistanis never leave any chance to increase business of British.

It is trick to bring this collection back to South Asia rather than it being ending up in Europe ad America.

 

[Hindustani78]

Huh?? English please!!! OR can someone pls translate what he just said?

Patience. I have already edited it .

 

[Indus Falcon]

No one in India ever deny about any Muslim ruler and regarding being ruled then i would say that all those were alliances

"Alliances" part - please explain. Thank you.