#mortar

Armadillo Mortar

Aztec culture, Central Mexico, Postclassic, ca. 14th to early 16th c.

Stone, red pigment

3.8" L x 7" W x 5.5" H (35.1 x 17.8 x 14 cm)

“An Aztec stone mortar carved in the form of an armadillo transforms a utilitarian vessel into a sculptural meditation on earth, protection, and ritual practice. The animal is rendered with a low, rounded body and carefully incised bands that evoke the segmented armor of the armadillo, while the head projects forward with quiet alertness. At the center of the back, a deep circular cavity forms the grinding bowl, seamlessly integrated into the creature's body. The armadillo was closely associated with the earth and the underworld in Mesoamerican thought, admired for its burrowing behavior and natural armor. Its ability to move between surface and subterranean realms linked it symbolically to fertility, regeneration, and hidden forces beneath the soil. These qualities made the animal an apt form for ritual and domestic implements connected to preparation, transformation, and offerings.

The interior of the mortar retains traces of red pigment, possibly cinnabar, a mercury-based mineral widely used in Mesoamerica for ritual, symbolic, and funerary purposes. Cinnabar was associated with blood, life force, and sacred renewal, and its presence here suggests the mortar may have been used for preparing pigments, medicines, or ritual substances rather than ordinary foodstuffs.

This bronze mortar weighs 2,540kg (nearly 5,600lbs) and it's crafted in the shape of a tiger sitting on its haunches with its tail curled above its back. The tiger's face is rendered in elaborate detail, and the muzzle of the gun is nestled in its gaping jaws.

Above: close-up of the tiger's face and mouth

The entire figure is also decorated with stippling patterns that create the appearance of stripes.

Above: this photo shows the tiger cannon devouring a small child

The mortar was created in Mysore, India, during the late-1700s. It was likely commissioned for Tipu Sultan, who ruled as the sultan of Mysore until 1799, when British soldiers seized control of the capital at Srirangapatna, ultimately killing him in battle.

Above: another view of the tiger's body

Tipu Sultan was a pioneer of rocket artillery; he was also known as the "Tiger of Mysore," and various tiger-themed objects were created in his name, including many other cannons and mortars. Some of these guns have similar stylistic elements, depicting a tiger's head with the muzzle of the gun in its mouth, but their design rarely includes the tiger's body.

Above: this cannon features a similar tiger's-head design, but it does not depict the tiger's body; it was created in Tipu Sultan's royal foundry in 1790, and is currently displayed in Chennai, India

Most of the artifacts from Tipu Sultan's court (including more than 900 cannons) were stolen by British soldiers as they ransacked the city of Srirangapatna. Many of those artifacts are still housed in museums, libraries, and private collections throughout the UK. The full-bodied tiger mortar featured in this post is part of the collection at the Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson.

The British Government Should Return Tipu's Treasures to India

Sources & More Info:

Royal Armouries: Tiger Gun

Tiger of Mysore: Tipu Sultan's Sitting Tiger Gun

Weird and Wonderful Weaponry: Tiger Mortar

A Red Army mortar team during the Battle of Stalingrad, 1942.