Flintlock Blunderbuss

Unknown

dated Mauludi-era 1225/1796–97 CE · Steel, wood, silver, gold, copper alloy · Arms and Armor

This gun comes from the armory of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, a Muslim state within southern (Hindu) India, from 1782 to 1799. Tipu called himself the “Tiger of Mysore” and employed tiger imagery in every aspect of his court. The cock of this flintlock is a tiger’s head and the barrel is damascened in gold with tiger stripes. Manufactured in the capital of Seringapatam and incorporating the latest European technology, Tipu’s firearms were the most distinctive and sophisticated in India at the time.

Artist

Unknown

Date

dated Mauludi-era 1225/1796–97 CE

Medium

Steel, wood, silver, gold, copper alloy

Culture

Indian, Mysore, Srirangapatna

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Gift of Christian A. Zabriskie, 1936