A good 19th century Coco de Mer, part polished, exhibiting excellent colour and patina. Presented on a newly fabricated iron stand giving a overall height of approximately 12 inches and a width of 9 inches.
The Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) is a palm endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. Until the true source of the nut was discovered in 1768, it was believed by many to grow on a mythical tree at the bottom of the sea. European collectors in the sixteenth century would often have the shells of the nut cleaned and decorated with valuable jewels; the Coco de Mer has always been considered an essential object for a ‘Wunderkammer’ or ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’.
Item Code: 5259
£ 1550
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