Tipu’s Tiger immortalised in Clay

Imagine the rebellious Sultan’s delight when he heard the news that a British officer had been killed by a tiger. The symbolism of this event was not lost on the Tipu. Here’s what happened: In 1792 Lieutenant Hector Monroe was having a picnic with friends when the call of nature obliged him to retire to some undergrowth. When his natural caution was diverted, he was pounced upon by a tiger and killed before anyone could intervene.The victim was not very important (though his father was a general) so the incident was not destined to appear in history books. But for the Sultan it was such a cause for celebration that he commemorated the event by commissioning a life-size replica of the attack. Carved out of local jackwood, the tiger is depicted in flagrate delicto atop the helpless Hector, who is splendidly attired in redcoat uniform for the occasion of his death. Housed inside the tiger is the latest automation technology from Europe (supplied no doubt by Tipu’s French allies). It includes an organ designed to emit the sounds of roaring and screaming to simulate a re-enactment of the attack. And the mechanism even animates the arms of the officer in futile self-defense.

This contraption was originally displayed in Tipu’s palace music room, where it provided entertainment and amusement for guests. But the sultan’s defiance was not to last. In 1799, in the last of four wars fought against the rebellious state of Mysore, Tipu’s fortress of Seringapatam was stormed, he was killed, and his palace was looted. Initially the tiger automaton was overlooked because it did not appear to be of intrinsic value. But when its significance was realized, it was brought back to London and exhibited at the EIC HQ as a war trophy and object of fascination. It certainly drew crowds and made the news, which is how it came to the attention of a potter in Staffordshire named Obadiah Sherratt.