It has been my understanding that this design interpreted as 'bubris' or tiger stripes is actually the 'cintamani' design, an Ottoman motif, used in the Deccan in 17th c. and as this katar, predating Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali.
While this is of course a desirable katar, the presumption of Tipu connection surely fueled the resultant bid.
It seems the designs were a combining of the three dots, which I believe represented the dots of a panther, and symbolic for the Timurids, and the Ottoman design which do represent stripes and tiger of course.
While the 'cintamani' designs do align with similar shaped designs on some weapons claimed to be Tipu's, and the mechanical 'toy' tiger well known, it is of course somewhat established prior to his adopting of it, and in Deccani context.
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