© Victoria and Albert Museum
Pair of Pistols
Artist: Sayyid Ma'sum (active 1790s)
Location: Victoria and Albert Museum
Date: 1795-1796
Materials: steel & gold
Dimensions: length: 37.5cm
Grant:
Amount Paid: £14,286 (Total: £30,000)
Vendor: Sotheby's
Review number: 5596 (2005)
Provenance:
Royal arsenal of Tipu Sultan; Robin Wigington collection 1970's.
Description:
A pair of silver-mounted pistols from the Royal Workshop of Tipu Sultan with left and right hand locks. The strong French influence on the design of the locks reflects the shrewd use Tipu Sultan made of the best modern weapons technology to make his army one of the most effective in India. The barrels are decorated with Persian verses overlaid in gold praising the ruler and incorporating a calligramme in the form of a tiger head, the symbol of Tipu Sultan.
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