Tiger-Shaped Mortar from India, c.1750-1790 CE: this 239mm (9.4in) caliber mortar is cast in the shape of a tiger with the muzzle of the gun protruding from its jaws [3922×5026]
Tiger-Shaped Mortar from India, c.1750-1790 CE: this 239mm (9.4in) caliber mortar is cast in the shape of a tiger with the muzzle of the gun protruding from its jaws [3922×5026]
This bronze mortar weighs 2,540kg (nearly 5,600lbs) and it’s crafted in the form of a tiger sitting on its haunches with its tail curled above its back. The tiger’s face is rendered in elaborate detail, and the muzzle of the gun is nestled in its gaping jaws. The entire figure is also decorated with stippling patterns that create the appearance of stripes.
It was created in Mysore, India, during the late-1700s. The mortar was likely commissioned for Tipu Sultan, who ruled as the sultan of Mysore until 1799, when British soldiers seized control of the capital at Srirangapatna, ultimately killing him in battle.
Tipu Sultan was a pioneer of rocket artillery; he was also known as the “Tiger of Mysore,” and various tiger-themed objects were created in his name, including many other cannons and mortars. Some of these guns have similar stylistic elements, depicting a tiger’s head with the muzzle of the gun in its mouth, but their design rarely includes the tiger’s body.
Most of the artifacts from Tipu Sultan’s court (including more than 900 cannons) were stolen by British soldiers as they ransacked the city of Srirangapatna. Many of those artifacts are still housed in museums, libraries, and private collections throughout the UK. The full-bodied tiger mortar featured in this post is part of the collection at the Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson.
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This bronze mortar weighs 2,540kg (nearly 5,600lbs) and it’s crafted in the form of a tiger sitting on its haunches with its tail curled above its back. The tiger’s face is rendered in elaborate detail, and the muzzle of the gun is nestled in its gaping jaws. The entire figure is also decorated with stippling patterns that create the appearance of stripes.
It was created in Mysore, India, during the late-1700s. The mortar was likely commissioned for Tipu Sultan, who ruled as the sultan of Mysore until 1799, when British soldiers seized control of the capital at Srirangapatna, ultimately killing him in battle.
Tipu Sultan was a pioneer of rocket artillery; he was also known as the “Tiger of Mysore,” and various tiger-themed objects were created in his name, including many other cannons and mortars. Some of these guns have similar stylistic elements, depicting a tiger’s head with the muzzle of the gun in its mouth, but their design rarely includes the tiger’s body.
Most of the artifacts from Tipu Sultan’s court (including more than 900 cannons) were stolen by British soldiers as they ransacked the city of Srirangapatna. Many of those artifacts are still housed in museums, libraries, and private collections throughout the UK. The full-bodied tiger mortar featured in this post is part of the collection at the Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson.
#Sources & More Info:
– Royal Armouries: [Tiger Gun](https://royalarmouries.org/collection/object/object-33870)
– Tiger of Mysore: [Tipu Sultan’s Sitting Tiger Gun](https://tigerofmysore.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/tipu-sultans-sitting-tiger-gun-mortar/)
– Weird and Wonderful Weaponry: [Tiger Gun](https://archive.org/details/weirdwonderfulwe0000hebd/page/9/mode/1up?q=%22Many+guns+were+made%22)
– Government Museum of Chennai: [Tipu Sultan Cannon](https://govtmuseumchennai.org/museum-section/arms/tippu-sultan-cannon)
– Hyperallergic: [The British Government Should Return Tipu’s Treasures to India](https://hyperallergic.com/701792/the-british-government-should-return-tipus-treasures-to-india/)