Half-length portrait of Tipu Sultan of Mysore (r.1782-99)
Painting
ca. 1860 (made)
ca. 1860 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This portrait of the famous ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan (r. 1782-1799) was painted on ivory in Delhi in about 1860. Delhi was a major centre for the production of miniature paintings on ivory, often produced in sets illustrating famous Mughal monuments or significant historical personages from the Mughal empire, or from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. In the mid-19th century, they began to include portraits of rulers from other parts of India, as well as monuments from the South. This portrait was almost certainly copied from an earlier, South Indian portrait of the man known to his British enemies as the "tiger of Mysore".
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Half-length portrait of Tipu Sultan of Mysore (r.1782-99) |
| Materials and techniques | watercolour on ivory |
| Brief description | Painting; Watercolour on ivory, Half-length portrait of Tipu Sultan of Mysore (r.1782-99), Delhi, ca.1860 |
| Physical description | Tipu Sultan is depicted in this oval miniature on ivory in a gilt metal frame wearing a turban set with a jewelled aigrette held in place by a string of large pearls. He has a necklace of large pearls, and wears a striped jama. His belt is of twisted fabric and has a gold-hilted sword tucked into it. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Tippoo Sooltaun (Written on the paper pasted on the back of the miniature, in a 19th century hand.) |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Given by S. K. Mainburheim |
| Object history | Presented by S.K. Mainburheim |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This portrait of the famous ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan (r. 1782-1799) was painted on ivory in Delhi in about 1860. Delhi was a major centre for the production of miniature paintings on ivory, often produced in sets illustrating famous Mughal monuments or significant historical personages from the Mughal empire, or from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. In the mid-19th century, they began to include portraits of rulers from other parts of India, as well as monuments from the South. This portrait was almost certainly copied from an earlier, South Indian portrait of the man known to his British enemies as the "tiger of Mysore". |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 646-1870 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | February 13, 2006 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
