BONHANS SELLS GEM-ENCRUSTED GOLD FINIAL £434,400

A SECOND GEM-ENCRUSTED GOLD FINIAL FROM THE OCTAGONAL GOLDEN THRONE OF TIPU SULTAN, THE TIGER OF MYSORE, WAS SOLD AT BONHAMS NEW BOND STREET RECENTLY IN THE INDIAN AND ISLAMIC SALE FOR £434,400. THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH FINIAL TO PASS THROUGH BONHAMS IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS. TE FIRST FINIAL SOLD FOR £389,600 ON 2.APRIL 2009. BOTH WERE AT BONHAMS RECENTLY, REUNITING TWO PARTS OF THE FABLED THRONE AFTER 200 YEARS, AND OFFERING TIPU SCHOLARS AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE HISTORIC OBJECTS. THE FINIALS WARE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS EVER TO APPEAR AT AUCTION. THE ONE THAT SOLD RECENTLY WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE SAME SCOTTISH FAMILY FOR THE PAST 200 YEARS COMING DOWN TO THE PRESENT OWNER BY DIRECT DESCENT. THE FIRST FINIAL SOLD AT BONHAMS HAD LAIN IN AN ENGLISH CASTLE, FOR AT LEST 100 YEARS AND THEN PUT IN A BANK VAULT, UNKNOWN TO TIPU ENTHUSIASTS AND SCHOLARS. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY BONHAMS ISLAMIC DEPARTMENT ON A ROUTINE VALUATION. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS FROM TIPU SULTAN'S PALACE WERE RESERVED FOR THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY, THE FAMOUS GOLDEN THRONE WAS BROKEN UP SO THAT THE ELEMENTS COULD BE SHARED. MUCH TO THE DISAPPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, LORD WELLESLEY (LATER THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON). THE THRONE WAS BROKEN UP SO QUICKLY FOLLOWING THE FALL OF SERINGAPATAM THAT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE FATE OF THE REMAINING THRONE RELICS; HOWEVER, A LARGE GOLD TIGER HEAD FROM THE FRONT OF THE THRONE PLATFORM NOW RESIDES AT WINDSOR CASTLE ALONG WITH A JEWELED BIRD WHICH WAS PRESENTED TO QUEEN CHARLOTTE THE WIFE OF GEORGE III. ANOTHER SURVIVING FINIAL CAN BE FOUND AT POWIS CASTLE, ACQUIRED BY THE SECOND LADY CLIVE IN INDIA.