Tipu Sultan's sword, for $2 mn, fails to attract bidders at Christie's auction
Tipu Sultan's sword was expected to be purchased by a museum in the Middle East. Photograph:(Others)
A sword, which once belonged to Mysore's ruler Tipu Sultan and was gifted to former British governor-general of India Charles Cornwallis before he was reappointed to the same post after the decline of Seringapatam and till now stayed with the family of Cornwallis failed to attract bidders at a Christie's auction.
The sword was priced between £1.5 million (approximately $1.82 million) to £2 million (approximately $2.43 million).
It was expected that the sword would be purchased by a museum in the Middle East and that it would be sold for a huge amount after Tipu Sultan's bedchamber sword was sold for £14 million ($16.98 million) at Bonhams on May 23.
The bedchamber sword was handed over to Major General Baird who had laid the final siege of Seringapatam, the capital city of Mysore.
All about the sword that failed to get bidders
The sword was one of the two swords which were kept in Tipu Sultan's personal armour and was later given to Charles, the 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis in 1799, just after the defeat of Tipu and was passed down in his family.
In February 1786, Cornwallis was appointed commander-in-chief and governor-general of British India and headed the British forces during the Third Anglo-Mysore War.
In 1805, he was reappointed to the position but he died after serving for barely two months. The two swords were put up for sale by his descendants to pay for their stately home Port Eliot's expensive restoration in Cornwall, where they have been living.
The second sword which was placed for auction by the family along with a gem-set and enamelled sword and scabbard finally sold for £100,800 (approximately $122250).
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It was estimated to be priced at £80k to £120k ($97k to $145k). Two other weapons which belonged to the armies of Tipu Sultan and were placed at the same sale for auction by a different collection, were also not purchased.
One weapon has a captured English blade which was taken as a war booty by Tipu in the previous battle. The blade has been held in the jaws of a head-shaped pommel of a tiger. Tipu Sultan's flintlock musketoon also failed to fetch its reserve price.
It is believed that the Israel-Hamas war may have impacted bis on these swords at Thursday's "Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds" sale, along with inflation and high-interest rates.
Source : wesites