Lot 222
A rare silver-mounted gold-koftgari steel repeating flintlock sporting gun and bayonet from the personal armoury of Tipu Sultan, by Sayyid Dawud Haidernagar, dated AH 1800/AH 1785-86(2)
25 October 2021, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £312,750 inc. premium
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A rare silver-mounted gold-koftgari steel repeating flintlock sporting gun and bayonet from the personal armoury of Tipu Sultan, by Sayyid Dawud
Haidernagar, dated AH 1800/AH 1785-86
Haidernagar, dated AH 1800/AH 1785-86
the barrel of 20 bore, the first part polygonal, thereafter rounded, the silver foresight surrounded by interlaced vines in gold, an undulating vine around the muzzle, lug to one side for socket bayonet, the polygonal section profusely decorated in gold koftgari with eight panels of bubri pattern and two inscriptions, the first with the date and place of manufacture, the second with maker's name, all interspersed by floral vines, three lobed cartouches containing the 'Haydar' control mark at the point closest to the breech, three silver ramrod pipes containing silver-mounted wood ramrod to one side, foliate engraved lock, the steel lock plate engraved with floral interlace with two inscriptions in gold, the 21 shot repeating breech mechanism with gilt copper parts chased with foliate interlace, the two rounded chambers for shot and powder terminating in a gilt-brass base cover for the powder magazine release in the form of a tiger head engraved with bubri motifs surmounted by foliate motifs, the carved wooden stock with silver side and butt plates chased with floral sprays, the former with rack number '82' in Arabic, the latter containing a sprung trap for bayonet released by push button in the form of a flowerhead, the wood stock carved with foliate motifs around the barrel tang and inlaid with silver wire forming scrolling tendrils and foliate motifs, silver trigger guard with rack number '82' in Arabic, together with companion steel bayonet, the socket decorated in gold with an inscription detailing the same date and place of manufacture surrounded by bubri motifs
140 cm. long, the bayonet 14.9 cm. long(2)
140 cm. long, the bayonet 14.9 cm. long(2)
Footnotes
Provenance
Major Thomas Hart of the East India Company, acquired in the days following the siege of Seringapatam, and thence by descent until sold by the family in March 2019.
Inscriptions: zarb-e HYDR (sic) [Haydar] negar 1200, 'Struck (i.e. Made in) Haidarnegar 1200 (1785-6)'; Signed, fadavi sayyid dawud, 'The devoted Sayyid Dawud'; the 'Haydar' control mark.
The present lot is a rare example of a repeating long gun, though it is very closely related to another repeating gun from Tipu Sultan's armoury now in the Royal Armouries (see Robin Wigington, The Firearms of Tipu Sultan 1783-1799, Hatfield, 1992, pp. 45-48, no. TR3, plates 3a-e.), and another from George IV's Armoury at Carlton House (CH AA 540). Whilst almost all extant examples of firearms from Tipu's armoury are in excellent condition, the present lot was acquired in a damaged state following the battle, and had clearly been subjected to musket fire. It is therefore possible to surmise that, rather than being seized from the armoury after the battle, it was collected from the battlefield, and may even have been about the person of the Sultan at the time of his death. This opinion is further supported by the damage to the bayonet, which could not have occurred whilst in storage in the butt, implying that it must have been fitted to the muzzle and in use when damaged. The gun has since been professionally restored to return it to its original condition, the most significant work being the replacement of a fragment of the trigger guard, and the base cover for the tubular powder magazine release which has been expertly copied from the example on the gun from George IV's armoury.
Of all the firearms from the personal armoury of Tipu Sultan which have come up for sale, this is the only example which includes the original fitted socket bayonet which is also inscribed 'Haidernagar' and dated AH 1200. When not in use, the bayonet can be neatly stored in the sprung trap within the butt. Tipu had a great interest in all things mechanical and it is likely that this innovation was introduced from Europe by one of his French technicians (see Wigington, 1992, p. 33 for a discussion of these short bayonets or "sangin"). The present lot is also of increased interest in that it is one of only two known examples produced at Haidernagar (for the other see Wigington, 1992, pp. 75-8), and the only example made by Sayyid Dawud. Haidernagar was the new name given to Ikkeri in Bednore by Tipu's father Hyder Ali when he conquered it in 1763 and made it his capital. Interestingly our gun was made in AH 1200 which was the last year Tipu Sultan used the hijra date, after which he introduced the mawludi calendar based on the birth of the Prophet in AD 572 rather than his migration from Mecca to Medina in AD 622.
The gold 'Haidar' control mark or 'H' in Arabic which appears at the back of the breech on all three upper barrel flats signifies that the gun was produced in one of Tipu's workshops. According to Wigington, control marks inlaid with gold en suite with the decoration of the gun, such as on the present lot, only appear on Tipu's personal firearms. Those in munition quality arms would have been filled with brass or left plain (see Wigington, 1992, p. 15).
