Unique Antique TAIPO Silver Plate Crocodile Skin Hip Flask with History
A rare antique Edwardian engraved and monogrammed gentleman's hip flask, with crocodile skin cover and silver plate cup, with an intriguing New Zealand connection. Very likely made in England c. 1900 it has quite a story to tell. In excellent antique condition it is a superior presentation flask, beautifully engraved, bearing the name of an adventurous man.
Engraved on one side with the horses head crest of the M'Cracken / McCracken family with the words OMNIA RECTE'I have done everything right'. On the other side an engraving to "TAIPO" McCRACKEN from C. Kai Ora is a Maori New Zealand greeting wishing life and health. Taipo' McCracken was an explosives inventor from Dunedin, Otago, on New Zealand's South Island, with the first name Adam.
Both father and son were Adam McCracken (or M'Cracken). The father born in Scotland in 1851, the son in 1879 in Queenstown, New Zealand.
The family appears to have moved to Dunedin after the son was born. The Otago gold rush had occurred during the 1860s, New Zealand's biggest gold strike, which led to a rapid influx of foreign miners to the area.
Adam M'Cracken, father or son, became the inventor of mining explosives. In 1904 the Otago Witness reported that "Mr Adam M'Cracken, the inventor of the "Taipo explosive" had visited Sth Africa "on business connected with his invention. On his return journey Mr. M'Cracken stayed in Melbourne for the flotation of a taipo syndicate in the Commonwealth. McCracken's first explosive was called Mortite, and his second Satanite.
In 1903 The Melbourne Argus reported the annual meeting of the Mortite High Explosive Ltd. Was held at 123 Queen-Street Melbourne, including attendance by notables such as David Syme of The Age.
A munitions factory (presumably for the manufacture of his invention) was built in Cordite Avenue, Maribyrnong, and later redeveloped as the first armaments factory for the new Commonwealth of Australia. This unique flask with a fascinating story measures approx.
15.5cm tall x 10.5cm wide x 3.5cm deep and is in excellent antique condition. Prefer pick-up but can post very well packaged with Australia Post.