Crown Lynn produced a number of these New Zealand sign language mugs in celebration of the 1989 World Deaf Games (now called Deaflympics) held in Christchurch. This was the first time these Games had been held in the Southern Hemisphere, and included 955 athletes from 30 different nations.  

West Auckland has a close connection to the Deaf community, with Lopdell House in Titirangi being the official School for the Deaf from 1942-1983. It was run by the Department of Education, and served all deaf, school-aged children born north of New Plymouth and Gisborne.