One out of three depictions carved into the coconut in high relief displays a riot in front of the city hall at September 8, 1574, were a crowd of hungry men and women had gathered to try to enforce the city’s surrender. We can see how Mayor Van der Werf courageously approaches the crowd and offers up his own arm for food.
The other two are male portraits, with a round frame telling us, in capitals, who is depicted: William I, ‘Prince van Oraingen’ and Squire I van der Does, commander of the city’s voluntary militia.
In short: everything points to this being a 16th century honor goblet, made to commemorate Leiden’s Occupation, Liberation and the victories against the Spanish rulers.
