Sword and Sheath
late 17th century to early 18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This sword was formerly in the possession of Sir George Barlow and believed to have come from the armoury of Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. Barlow (1762-1846) was appointed to the Bengal Civil Service in 1778 and left India finally in 1812. He was Provisional Governor General of India c.1802-5 and made GCB in 1815. The defeat of Tipu Sultan by the British in 1799 took place while Barlow was the East India Company's Chief Secretary in Bengal. The Mysore ruler's treasury was broken up immediately after the defeat and many British residents in India collected souvenirs of what was seen as a seminal victory.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Brief description | Sword, steel, in a sheath of leather-covered wood, Central India or Deccan, 17th Century or early 18th Century. |
| Physical description | Straight double edged sword with a watered steel blade decorated with gold-overlay in a sheath of leather-covered wood. |
| Gallery label | SWORD: Steel, in a sheath of leather-covered wood, Central India or Deccan, 17th Century or early 18th Century.
SWORD
Steel
Central India or Deccan
Probably 17th century
IS.18-1973
Given by C.M. Barlow
This sword is said to have come from Tipu Sultan’s armoury. It was given to the V&A by
a descendant of George Hilaro Barlow. When Seringapatam fell, Barlow was a member of the supreme council of Bengal, then under British control. He later became acting Governor-General of Bengal and Governor of Madras. In all these positions, he would have been well placed to acquire this sword.(27/9/2013) |
| Object history | Formerly in the possession of Sir George Barlow and believed to have come from the armoury of Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. RF: 73/2609A Sir George Hilaro Barlow (1762-1846) was appointed to the Bengal Civil Service in 1778 and left Indian finally in 1812. He was Chief Secretary to the Bengal secretariat in 1796, then promoted to the supreme council in 1801. Here, he was close to the Marquess Wellesley. He was made a baronet in 1803 and became acting governor-general from October 1805 to July 1807. After this, he was made governor of Madras from 1807-1813 (see entry in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography). |
| Production | reputed to have belonged to Tipu Sultan |
| Summary | This sword was formerly in the possession of Sir George Barlow and believed to have come from the armoury of Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. Barlow (1762-1846) was appointed to the Bengal Civil Service in 1778 and left India finally in 1812. He was Provisional Governor General of India c.1802-5 and made GCB in 1815. The defeat of Tipu Sultan by the British in 1799 took place while Barlow was the East India Company's Chief Secretary in Bengal. The Mysore ruler's treasury was broken up immediately after the defeat and many British residents in India collected souvenirs of what was seen as a seminal victory. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.18&A-1973 |
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| Record created | July 31, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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