Tipu's Tigers

Tipu's Tiger is one of the V&A's most enduringly famous and fascinating objects. Commissioned in the 1790s by Tipu Sultan of Mysore, who kept the spectacular wooden semi-automaton in the music room of his palace, the tiger was shipped to London after Tipu was killed in 1799. This accessible book explores the continuing appeal - and influence - of Tipu Sultan's tiger, which has inspired artists and writers, frightened children, and entertained the public since its first arrival in England. It also illustrates and discusses some of the most splendid of his other treasures - his throne, textiles and spectacular weapons, all decorated with the ruler's iconic tiger forms and patterns - which were seized by the British and dispersed.