Ironically, the omission of key details in the manner suggested describing the auction detail may have been to avoid the complexity of trying to attribute the motif on this katar.
While this design/motif is Ottoman associated from that use in art and textiles from about 15th c. the triple orbs and the wavy lines seem an amalgamation of symbols from different sources.
Though the wavy lines are suggested to represent tiger stripes, perhaps that idea stems from the compelling possibility of the triple orbs representing leopard spots in the Turkic tradition of animal symbolism in devices. This is believed to be the source for the Timurid three circle design, which was allegedly the symbol of state (as presumed from coinage of Timur's time bearing it).
Apparently the 'triple orb' device long predated Timur's use of it however, in Buddhist tradition, where the 'cintamani' term was associated with a jewel, and in some representations, in three.
It seems that the triple orb design entered the Persian sphere, as described by Y. Kadoi (" Cintamani: Notes on the Turco-Iranian Style", Persica 21, 2006-2007, pp. 33-49) with Lamaist scholars in the Iranian-Mongol court in 13th c. It remains unclear but for speculation as to the adoption of the design by Timur, but in the Turkic parlance the orbs may have been seen as spots as per their traditions of animal representations in a totemic sense.
By this same token, it seems perhaps that Tipu adopted these 'wavy lines' from Ottoman art and regarded them as 'tiger stripes', as seen on some of his regalia.
It would take considerably tenuous optimism to attribute any particular item with such design to Tipu specifically based on this design, without remarkable and sound provenance.
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