Sugarcane Stalk, Possibly from the Merchant Ship ’t Hart

This stalk of sugarcane was used as a pressure relief valve during the transport of coffee beans from Surinam to the Netherlands. To keep the coffee as fresh as possible, the beans were not roasted until they reached their destination. However, fresh coffee beans could ferment while in the barrels. Sugarcane stalks were used to prevent the barrels from bursting during the voyage.