s Coconut cup by James Birkby, Hull, c.1651 - Hull Museums Collections

Coconut cup by James Birkby, Hull, c.1651

Coconut cups were exotic items in the 1600s and were popular with rich people. Coconut shells have been valued by many different cultures. Coconuts are an important part of Hindu religious ceremonies such as weddings. They symbolise usefulness, prosperity and generosity. This cup is made from a coconut shell and silver. It was made by Hull silversmith, James Birkby. Birkby’s workshop was in Church Lane, near Holy Trinity Church. This was an area used by many silversmiths before him. This cup has a silver shield on the front engraved with the arms of the Weever family of Cheshire. The earliest recorded silversmiths in Hull were working in the 1400s. During the 1500s gold and silver smiths formed ‘The Guild of Goldsmiths of Hull’. Hull silversmiths, being away from London, were able to work without the interference of official regulations. There is no record of an assay office in Hull. Silver pieces were normally sent to an assay office to ensure they were of the correct standard. The marks used on Hull silver never had any official recognition. From the 1500s the letter ‘H’ was used. Later, Hull’s town badge of three coronets was adopted for the stamped mark on silver. Many of Hull’s silversmiths were based in the same location on Church Lane (now demolished). This was close to Market Place, near Holy Trinity Church. Eleven silversmiths are known to have worked at the Church Lane premises including James Birkby. In 1645, silversmith Robert Robinson took on James Birkby as an apprentice. After serving his apprenticeship, Birkby bought his freedom in 1651 and established his own business in premises very close by.