Headgear: the helmet of Tipu Sultan

Headgear taken from Tipu Sultan’s palace at the capture of Seringapatam in 1799
This fabric and metal helmet is inscribed with texts from the Holy Qur’an describing the virtues of Allah and the Prophet Mohammed. The guard is decorated with tiger’s heads, the animal associated with Tipu Sultan, Muslim ruler of Mysore, one of the most formidable opponents of the British in India.
During the late eighteenth century,
The helmet was presented as a symbolic gift to Lord Cornwallis, the first Governor-General of India۔