Wow! This is a cardboard toy version of Tipu’s Tiger, which was a musical automaton from the 18th century made for Tipu Sultan, “the Tiger of Mysore”. Per Wiki: “As a gift for Tipu the automaton makes use of his personal emblem of the tiger and expresses his hatred of his enemy, the British of the East India Company.” Alas, British colonialism got the upper hand, and the Tiger now resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The actual dingus is nearly 6 feet long. As for its mechanism: “The operation of a crank handle powers several different mechanisms inside Tipu’s Tiger. A set of bellows expels air through a pipe inside the man’s throat, with its opening at his mouth. This produces a wailing sound, simulating the cries of distress of the victim. A mechanical link causes the man’s left arm to rise and fall. This action alters the pitch of the ‘wail pipe’. Another mechanism inside the tiger’s head expels air through a single pipe with two tones. This produces a “regular grunting sound” simulating the roar of the tiger. Concealed behind a flap in the tiger’s flank is the small ivory keyboard of a two-stop pipe organ in the tiger’s body, allowing tunes to be played.”
Ok, you’ve been very patient, here’s a YouTube video of the toy in action. Slightly less impressive, perhaps, but still!
Photo by Arroyo.