Statuette of a Bengal tiger, 104th Bengal Fusiliers, 1881

Silver, no maker's mark, hallmarked London, 1881. A Bengal tiger, with left front leg raised, and ears back, snarling. hollow-cast and split at the end of the tail. On a wooden plinth with a silver plaque, bolted onto a brass base.

The statuette was presented by Colonel J Bleaymire to the 104th Bengal Fusiliers in 1881.

This regiment's lineage dates back to 1756, when the Bengal European Regiment was formed out of existing independent companies of non-Indian troops. This was then split into three separate regiments in 1765.One of these was the 2nd Bengal European Regiment.

Between 1803 and 1822, the regiment was absorbed into the Bengal European Regiment's Marine Battalion. It was briefly revived using volunteers from the 1st Bengal European Regiment, during which time it engaged at Arakan in Burma in 1825. It was then absorbed back into the 1st Bengal European Regiment in 1830.

In 1839, the 2nd Bengal European Regiment was revived again, this time under the new title of the 2nd Bengal (European) Light Infantry. Again, it was made up of volunteers from the 1st Bengal Europeans. However, its officers were drawn from the General List.

Like all other European units of the East India Company, the regiment transferred to British government control in 1858. Then, in 1862, it was given the numeral 104 in the British Army's order of precedence.

In 1871, it moved to England and was then stationed in Ireland from 1877. In 1881, when it amalgamated with the 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers), another former Bengal European unit, to form The Royal Munster Fusiliers. The Munster cap badge bears a Bengal tiger in honour of the regiment's Indian origins as the 1st Bengal European Regiment of the East India Company's army.