Commemorative coconut from the Bayou Classic: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The top half of the coconut is dark brown and covered in lacquer. There is a circular design on top with paint and glitter. The design is red at the top and black on the bottom. It has white text which reads [STATE FARM / BAYOU CLASSIC]. The center of the circle is white, with a blue silhouette of the state of Louisiana. There is a color depiction of the faces of a tiger and a jaguar biting the ends of a football. The tiger is on the proper right side and the jaguar is on the proper left side. There is gold and white text in the center of the football. It reads [30 YEARS]. There is white text below the logo. It reads [Diamond Anniversary]. There is a clear colored plastic gemstone glued in between the two words.

The middle of the coconut has a bronze-colored sequin ribbon going around it. There is a light brown coconut shell on the bottom half, below the sequins.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: November 29, 2003
• Created by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Bayou Classic, founded 1974
• Subject of: Grambling State University, American, founded 1901
• Subject of: Southern University and A&M College, American, founded 1880
• Type: memorabilia
• Type: collectibles
• Medium: coconut shell, paint, lacquer, glitter, sequins, synthetic fiber, and plastic gemstones
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 5 1/4 × 5 1/2 × 4 3/4 in. (13.3 × 14 × 12.1 cm)
• Place depicted: Grambling, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Place used: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Football
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Sports
• Object number: 2015.75.15
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dottie Belletto
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Permission required for use Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.