Achromatic Telescope
1790-1799 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This achromatic telescope made by the firm of Ramsden, London, in about 1790 belonged to Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore from 1782-1799. It was taken from his palace at the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799, when the army of the East India Company defeated and killed Tipu Sultan. The telescope is engraved round the brass mount of the outer section: 'Col. Wemyss Smith. This telescope was taken from the body of Tippoo Sahib at Seringapatam, May 4th 1799'.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Casing of wood and brass |
| Brief description | Tipu Sultan's telescope and case, wood and brass, Ramsden, London |
| Marks and inscriptions | "Ramsden London" engraved on the smallest section nearest the eyepiece; "Col. Wemyss Smith, This telescope was taken from the body of Tippo Sahib, at Seringapatam, May 4th 1799" engraved round the brass mount of the largest (outer) section. |
| Gallery label | TELESCOPE: Engraved round the brass mount of the outer section is 'Col. Wemyss Smith. This telescope was taken from the body of Tippoo Sahib at Seringapatam, May 4th 1799'.
TELESCOPE
Casing of wood and brass
England, made by Ramsden of London
c. 1770
IS.153-1964
The inscription engraved on the brass mount
of the outer section reads ‘Col. Wemyss Smith. This telescope was taken from the body of Tippoo Sahib, at Seringapatam, May 4th 1799’.(27/9/2013) |
| Object history | Owned by Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Taken at Seringapatam in 1799 by Captain Wemyss Smith. |
| Production | A similar achromatic telescope made by Ramsden is in the National Maritime Museum, London (NAV1678) |
| Summary | This achromatic telescope made by the firm of Ramsden, London, in about 1790 belonged to Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore from 1782-1799. It was taken from his palace at the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799, when the army of the East India Company defeated and killed Tipu Sultan. The telescope is engraved round the brass mount of the outer section: 'Col. Wemyss Smith. This telescope was taken from the body of Tippoo Sahib at Seringapatam, May 4th 1799'. |
| Bibliographic reference | Stronge, Susan, Tipu's Tigers, London: V&A Publishing, 2009 ISBN. 9781851775750
pp.50-51, no. 52
Note - cat. no in book is incorrect. NOT IS1853 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.153&A-1964 |
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 | July 31, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
