Tipu's Tiger
Tipu's Tiger is an automaton, representing a tiger savaging a European soldier. It was originally built for Tipu Sultan (the tiger was Tipu's emblem) in Mysore, ca. 1795. An organ inside the automaton used to produce the roar of the tiger and the groans of the man. The design is said to have been inspired by the death of the son of General Sir Hector Munro, who had vanquished Tipu and his father Haidar Ali in 1781. It is now kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum. When it was shipped to England, it was labelled "Man Tyger Organ". Tipu's Tiger is also the name of a vegetarian restaurant in Missoula, Montana.
External linkshttp://www.nationalgalleries.org.uk/tipu/tiger11.htm
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