A mate straw that terminates with a faceted circular form and with incised diagonal and straight lines on the lower portion of the straw. The mate to 2003.50.4.

A mate straw that terminates with a faceted circular form and with incised diagonal and straight lines on the lower portion of the straw. The mate to 2003.50.5.

Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund

Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund

Shortly after Britain seized Jamaica from Spain in 1655, local workshops began manufacturing two uniquely Caribbean types of decorative art objects: costly tortoiseshell boxes and comb sets. These luxury goods were typically made for a British market as either souvenirs or exotic gifts from the islands. They were often engraved with Jamaica’s new coat of arms, which included an indigenous Arawak man and woman (see illustration), and evocations of the island’s abundant natural resources.


Poco después de que los ingleses incautaran Jamaica a España en 1655, los talleres locales comenzaron a producir dos tipos de objetos decorativos únicos del Caribe: costosas cajas de carey y juegos de peines. Estos bienes de lujo se fabricaban generalmente para el mercado británico como recuerdos de viajes o regalos exóticos de las islas. Frecuentemente se grababan con el nuevo escudo de armas de Jamaica, que incluía un hombre y una mujer indígenas arawak (ver ilustración) e ilustraciones de los abundantes recursos naturales de las islas.

Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund

Carll H. de Silver Fund

Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund

Gift of Mrs. Eugene Schaefer

Florence B. and Carl L. Selden Fund