Kendall House Antiques Ltd. has dated this piece to the 1930s.
The Major shot the Tiger in 1932 whilst stationed in India.
The ears lightly bashed, one more so than the other, some natural fading, and the shield dry, some might say requiring a wax.
We apologies for the dust on the back of the head, but we just can’t resist leaving this remarkable Tiger in exactly the way we found it. Finding untouched examples with provenance, such as the one we offer here today is rare, maybe not unique but very rare.
To the side of the shield is the original ivorine plaque “VAN INGEN MYSORE”, and pencilled to the verso of the shield is the date 09 12 32, the serial number 720, the Majors name, the workshops original shield measurement's 2’7” – 2’4”, plus Van Ingens paper care label and of course the fabled company’s trade mark “VAN INGEN MYSORE” heavily embossed.
Note: The serial number 720 (17720) is recorded in the Van Ingen stock book on 31 05 1932 this Tiger being no 3 of a larger consignment. Image of stock book entry kindly supplied by Russel Oxley of the taxidermy emporium ltd.
Note: Major General William Scott Cole CBE, BSM, CB. Born Jersey (1901 – 1992) of the Royal Engineers "Madras Sappers & Miners" (an engineering group in the British Indian Army). As an officer he is mentioned in various dispatches, after the war he was appointed Scout Commissioner in 1963.
Note: Van Ingen of Mysore Taxidermists located in South India, best known for their tiger and leopard taxidermy trophy mounts. Established by Eugene Van Ingen in the 1890s. His sons later ran the business until it closed in 1999.
Van Ingen & Van Ingen served the highest in international nobility as well as the Maharajas of India, preserving their "shikar" hunting trophies in the most lifelike poses and in the utmost beauty, with attention to detail like no other in their time of operation.
The "snarling" open mouth expression of finished big cat mounts was one of the Van Ingen's trademark qualities, a feature rigorously studied and made possible only by special head moulds which had specific built grooves on the nose area. The glass eyes were imported from Germany, hand painted individually by a factory workman each pair painted specifically for each individual taxidermy mount.
In its heyday, Van Ingen & Van Ingen was one of the biggest taxidermy businesses in the world. Film stars, viceroys and senior military men were numbered among their customers, but at least a third of the taxidermy was done for the Indian nobility. The firm employed over 150 workers in its heyday, with work beginning to decline in the late 1960s, following the banning of hunting in India.
Today the Van Ingen factory in Mysore, India lies derelict overgrown by the local jungle. The last member of the Van Ingen family Edwin Joubert Van Ingen (born 27 July 1912) died on 12 Mar 2013 in his Mysore residence. He was 101 years old.
For more information see the remarkable Van Ingen & Van Ingen - Artists in Taxidermy by Pat Morris published 2006 which outlines the quality, complexity and history of what once was one of the world's largest taxidermy firms.
We are always looking to purchase the finest examples of Taxidermy especially by the likes of Peter Spicer and other great Victorian taxidermists, please contact us if you have anything of interest.
Kendall House Antiques Ltd. has dated this piece to the 1930s.
Kendall house antiques a traditional shop in the north cotswold’s market town of chipping campden.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Kendall House Antiques Ltd. Profile Page
Taxidermy-tiger by Van Ingen Mysore with Provenance
