Chief's Coconut Shell Kava Cup
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: Charles Erskine
label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "KAVA CUP, SMALL, WITH 3.2" DIA., HANDLE 3", WIDE, 1.4" OUT SENNIT HANDLE AND SENNIT LOOP. ORIG. LABEL: "CUP MADE OF COCOA-NUT SHELL, USED BY THE FIJI ISLANDERS TO DRINK 'KAVA', AN INFUSION OF PEPPER ROOT." (THIS INFORMATION GIVEN BY K. P. EMORY, BISHOP MUSEUM, 6/24/41)."
label: Notes
content: On p. 14 of National Institute for the Promotion of Science, W. (1855). A popular catalogue of the extraordinary curiosities in the National Institute, arranged in the building belonging to the Patent Office. Washington: A. Hunter, Peale # 1575 is identified as "Drinking cup suspended from the neck when on their journeys."
label: Notes
content: Constructed of half a coconut shell lashed, through four holes drilled at one end, to a triangular shaped woven sennit handle. Attached to handle are two braided sennit "magimagi" cord fragments. Has original Peale # label but number is obliterated.
label: Notes
content: Writing formerly on back of coconut shell read: "C. Erskin Ex Ex b. 32".
label: Record Last Modified
content: 30 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Fiji, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Fijian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 66A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E2989-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Cup
physicalDescription: label: Diameter - Cup
content: 8.1 cm
label: Diameter - Handle
content: 8 cm
label: Width - Handle
content: 3.6 cm