A civilian who witnessed the war at Mysore described Tipu as about five feet eight inches tall. ‘He had a short neck, square shoulders, and was rather corpulent: his limbs were small, particularly his feet and hands; he had large full eyes, small arched eyebrows, and an aquiline nose; his complexion was fair, and the general expression of his countenance, not void of dignity'. 

Tipu’s war coat reflects this description of his stature. It is made from silk brocade decorated with white and blue flowering plants. The lining is crimson and green silk. After the battle, the armour was seized and presented to the Prince Regent (later George IV) by General Sir John Cradock in 1811.