Cup

Small conical cup made from an immature coconut carved with a chequered pattern using metal tools. This resembles European-made treen, but resembles Pacific forms in creating a cup out of coconut.

The cup is known to have belonged to Pomare IV, Queen of Tahiti (1813-77), and may also have been owned by the missionary Joseph King (1839-1923). It was formerly in the collections of the London Missionary Society. The cup is therefore particularly intriguing. With both Pacific and European influences, it may be a composite object made and gifted to Pomare.

Object Details

ID: ZBA5559
Collection: World Cultures
Type: Cup
Display location: Display - Pacific Encounters Gallery
Date made: Before 1877
People: King, Joseph; Pomare IV
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 90 mm; Diameter: 60 mm