Synopsis Tipu's Tiger is one of the Victoria and Albert Museum's most enduringly famous and fascinating objects. It was made for Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore who was killed by the British in 1799 during the final onslaught on his island capital, Seringapatam. After the victory, his treasury was seized and its precious contents rapidly divided between the soldiers of the East India Company army. The spectacular wooden tiger survived, however. Discovered in the music room of the palace, it was shipped to the company's new museum in London in 1800.