Coconut cup 19th century

This coconut cup was made by Elkington & Co. This piece speaks volumes about the Victorian era's fascination with exoticism and its complex relationship with colonized lands. Crafted from a coconut shell, a material sourced from regions then under British colonial influence, the cup is mounted in elaborately worked gold. This juxtaposition embodies the era’s colonial mindset. The coconut, a symbol of the ‘exotic’ and ‘foreign,’ is elevated and ‘civilized’ through its association with precious metals and European craftsmanship. Consider how an everyday object from one culture is transformed into a luxury item within another, reflecting power dynamics and cultural appropriation. The cup invites us to reflect on the intertwined histories of trade, colonialism, and cultural exchange, and to ponder the stories of those whose labor and resources made such objects possible.