Tipu Sultan’s golden tiger

A touch of the South at the Indian & Islamic Art Sale in London

Bonhams auctioneers of fine art and antiques in London will, on October 7th, be selling a gem-encrusted gold finial from the throne of Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore at the Indian and Islamic Art Sale. The first tiger head finial sold for over £380,000 last year, and when both pieces were at Bonhams, it was the first time in 200 years that they had been together since the throne they belonged to, was dismantled. Tipu Sultan was the ruler of Mysore in Karnataka, South India who fought valiantly against the British. The tiger head is from a set of three that belonged on Tipu Sultan’s throne – which he refused to mount until the British had been defeated – and is an important relic from this South Indian royal. We wonder how much this valuable piece of South Indian history will be sold for!