Coconut Cup

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Maker The Silversmith "M.J."

Title Coconut Cup

Date Ca. 1700

Medium Coconut and silver gilding

Dimensions Object: 7 3/8 × 4 5/16 × 4 5/16 in. (18.7 × 11 × 11 cm)
Overall (Rim Diameter Included): 7 3/8 × 4 5/16 × 4 5/16 × 3 7/8 in. (18.7 × 11 × 11 × 9.8 cm)

Credit Line Evan F. Lilly Memorial, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana.University

Accession Number 72.52

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About this Work

Although embellished with costly silver, this cup reflects European interest in the natural world and foreign lands, which was fueled by colonial endeavors. The coconut, often described as an “Indian nut” in Renaissance-era inventories, was a rare and exotic fruit to Europeans, who believed it had medicinal qualities.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Coconut Cup | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=72.52