'Tippoo's Tiger'
Emblematic organ
India (Mysore)
1790
Carved and lacquered wood, mechanical organ
Museum no. 2545(IS)

The painted wooden shell depicts a man being savaged by a tiger. The man lies on his back  while the tiger sinks its teeth into his neck. When the handle on the side of the tiger is turned, the man's left  forearm moves back and forth between his mouth and the tiger's ear, while bellows inside cause the animal to growl and the man to emit a plaintive whooping sound. A flap near the handle can be opened to reveal organ pipes and a keyboard with button keys of ivory.