A gem-encrusted gold finial from the decorated throne of Tipu Sultan and an eyewitness account of the battle that led to his defeat at the hands of the British are being put up for auction here on October 7.
The gem-encrusted figure, shaped like a tiger, has emerged after more than 200 years in the home of a Scottish family, auctioneer Bonhams said. The previous throne finial sold at Bonhams went for £389,600.
The British defeated the ruler and his throne was broken up in 1799. The British governor-general, the Earl of Mornington, the elder brother of Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington), disapproved of breaking it up, but it was done so the spoils could be shared.
Also being auctioned is an eyewitness account by Benjamin Sydenham of the battle which led to the final destruction of Tipu Sultan and his forces, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday. He also described seeing the body of Tipu Sultan. The account is set to sell for £15,000.
He described the body as “wounded a little above the right ear, and the ball lodged in the left cheek, he had also three wounds in the body, he was in stature about 5 feet 8 inches and not very fair, he was rather corpulent, had a short neck and high shoulders, but his wrists and ankles were small and delicate.”
“He had large full eyes, with small arched eyebrows and very small whiskers. His appearance denoted him to be above the Common Stamp. And his countenance expressed a mixture of haughtiness and resolution. He was dressed in a fine white linen jacket, chintz drawers, a crimson cloth round his waist with a red silk belt and pouch across his body. He had lastly his turbaned (sic) and there were no weapons of defence about him.”
—PTI