MMD > Archives > October 1996 > 1996.10.23 > 07Prev  Next


Tipu's Tiger
By John Sinclair Willis

Bill Burns posted an interesting report from Bruce Sterling's Dead Media mail list.

The report quotes...

"In a technical analysis of the instrument, Henry Willis speculated that 'the intended method of use...' Because the design and materials suggest a European rather than an Indian maker, Willis suggested that the tiger and its victim were constructed by either a malicious Frenchman or a renegade Englishman."

I remember my father, Henry Willis, 4, telling me that he had carried out some restoration work on this artefact some years ago.

I wonder which Henry Willis the above remarks are attributed to - It would be remarkable if it was Father Henry Willis, my great great grandfather.

Does anyone know?

> As far as I know, the tiger is still in London's V & A museum, although
> I suspect visitors are no longer allowed to make it perform.

I was at the V&A about 5 years ago and it was in a glass case!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Sinclair Willis
SPRINGWOOD MUSIC WORKSHOPS
Email: admin@musiclink.co.uk
http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/musick/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Message sent Mon 21 Oct 1996, 21:58:44 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

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