Taxidermy: Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), dated January 24th 1930, by Van Ingen & Van Ingen, Mysore, India, numbered 14324, a large superb-quality adult male shoulder mount with head turning slightly to the left, with mouth agape, glass eyes, mounted upon a typical oversized ebonised shield, bearing ivorine label to shield base - "Baghraj, Bhopal, Jan, 24, 1930", Baghraj Bhopal in located in Madhya Pradesh, central India, intact original care label to verso, 56cm from the wall, height 90cm, period original storage label for W.& A. Chapman, Ltd, 20/26, North St, Taunton, impressed van Ingen Mysore stamp to verso of shield. This wonderful, rare example has been within the same family since 1930, lovingly housed and cared for and kept away from direct sunlight, this is the first time it has appeared for sale. Vendors provenance - 'my grandfather (born 1888) gained entry to the Indian Civil Service, and in time became part of the Political Service, mainly in the Princely States, in which capacity he was the Viceroy's representative. He therefore travelled widely, as 'adviser' to various Maharajas, and would be involved in the social entertainment offered to visiting dignitaries, which included tiger hunts. The gift of this tiger-head followed one of these events. My grandmother, when asked the girlish question 'did Grandpa shoot the tiger ?' answered with 'No, of course not, darling; he was just one of the party'. When they returned to the UK on his retirement, looking for a home, their belongings were put into storage. Which would have been with Chapmans of Taunton, given their label on the shield's reverse. The tiger was on the wall over the stairs in the first house they moved to, then, in the final one, on the wall in the large and not well-lit hall. Since that house was emptied to be sold, the tiger has been on a wall where I've lived'. Van Ingen & Van Ingen order book entry information as follows - order no. 14324, delivered 14.03.30, C.H.B. Bowlston Esq, Letters to - The Wellington Club, 1 Grosvenor Place, London, SW9, photocopy of original order book entry included, kindly supplied by Dr Pat Morris