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Flintlock Blunderbuss

dated Mauludi-era 1225/1796–97 CE
Not on view
This gun comes from the armory of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, a Muslim state within southern (Hindu) India, from 1782 to 1799. Tipu called himself the “Tiger of Mysore” and employed tiger imagery in every aspect of his court. The cock of this flintlock is a tiger’s head and the barrel is damascened in gold with tiger stripes. Manufactured in the capital of Seringapatam and incorporating the latest European technology, Tipu’s firearms were the most distinctive and sophisticated in India at the time.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Flintlock Blunderbuss
  • Date: dated Mauludi-era 1225/1796–97 CE
  • Geography: Srirangapatna, Karnataka
  • Culture: Indian, Mysore, Srirangapatna
  • Medium: Steel, wood, silver, gold, copper alloy
  • Dimensions: L. 40 3/8 in. (102.5 cm); L. of barrel 23 3/4 in. (60.2 cm); Cal. 1.75 (44.0 mm); Wt. 6 lb. (2741 g)
  • Classification: Firearms-Guns-Flintlock
  • Credit Line: Gift of Christian A. Zabriskie, 1936
  • Object Number: 36.149.2
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Flintlock Blunderbuss, Steel, wood, gold, silver, Indian, Seringapatam
Flintlock Blunderbuss
Indian, Seringapatam
dated Mauludi era 1222/1793–94 CE
Helmet, Steel, iron, copper alloy, Indian, Deccan, probably Bijapur (Vijayapur)
Helmet
Indian, Deccan, probably Bijapur (Vijayapur)
17th century
Pair of Flintlock Pistols of Empress Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Johan Adolph Grecke Russian, Steel, ivory, gold, brass, Russian, Saint Petersburg
Pair of Flintlock Pistols of Empress Catherine the Great (1729–1796)
Johan Adolph Grecke
1786
Dagger with Scabbard, Steel, iron, gold, rubies, emeralds, glass, wood, textile, Indian, Mughal
Dagger with Scabbard
Indian, Mughal
1605–27
Smallsword, Steel, gold, silver, hilt, possibly India; blade, possibly European
Smallsword
hilt, possibly India; blade, possibly European
possibly 1790

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