From one of the bloodiest massacres in British India history, the siege of Cawnpore. A coconut fashioned into the body of a water pipe with original hand scribed note "Hookah or Water Pipe, made form a small coconut, Cawnpore, (last word, India, lacking). Undoubtedly collected by a soldier from the relief force which attempted to free the besieged, only to find 200 European women and children slain. The siege was part of the Sepoy Rebellion as four Indian regiments were stationed at Cawnpore. While looting was technically not allowed, a blind eye was turned on taking souvenirs so long as they were not of significant value. The writing on the label is that of a poorly educated writer as would be expected in the ranks of the British Army. Purchased at Christie's, London in the 1980s and in our own collection since then.
