Cane thumbnail 1
Cane thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asia Gallery, Room 41

Cane

late 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Mysore? (made)

This cane was acquired by the Indian Museum as having once been the property of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore from 1782-1799. If so, it would probably have been taken in the looting following the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799, when the British army attacked his capital and Tipu Sultan was killed. Heavy looting followed, and when this was stopped, the contents of his treasury were formally divided between the victorious British soldiers according to rank, in accordance with the conventions of the day. The cane was transferred, with other parts of the collections of the Indian Museum, to the South Kensington Museum in 1879.


Object details

Category
India Museum
Object type
Cane
Materials and techniques
Repousse gold, silver ferrule and steel
Brief description
MALACCA CANE: with handle of repousse gold, silver ferrule and steel tip. South India. Late 18th century.
Physical description
MALACCA CANE: with handle of repousse gold, silver ferrule and steel tip. South India. Late 18th century.
Gallery label
  • MALACCA CANE: with handle of repousse gold, silver ferrule and steel tip. South India. Late 18th century. WALKING STICK Gold handle worked in repoussé, with a silver ferrule and steel tip South India Late 18th century 2457 (IS) The cane is made of rattan wood from South-East Asia and has a South Indian gold handle. It was in the Indian Museum some time before 1879. No details of its history have survived apart from the claim that it belonged to Tipu Sultan, but it has no distinguishing marks to support this.(27/9/2013)
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Object history
Reputedly from Seringapatam, taken in 1799 and acquired by the Indian Museum. Transferred to the South Kensington Museum 1879.
Summary
This cane was acquired by the Indian Museum as having once been the property of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore from 1782-1799. If so, it would probably have been taken in the looting following the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799, when the British army attacked his capital and Tipu Sultan was killed. Heavy looting followed, and when this was stopped, the contents of his treasury were formally divided between the victorious British soldiers according to rank, in accordance with the conventions of the day. The cane was transferred, with other parts of the collections of the Indian Museum, to the South Kensington Museum in 1879.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
2457(IS)

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Record createdJuly 31, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O164714/cane-unknown/
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