This wonderful 19th Century carved coconut has been mounted with a silver foot and silver rim. The body of the deep brown coconut has been incised with a tribal geometric pattern before it was mounted in silver in the United Kingdom. Interestingly there is only one hallmark to the entire body of the piece, that of a 'HW', which is most likely for Victorian maker Horace Woodward & Co who operated between 1874 and 1877. Upon looking at the hallmark for Horace Woodward which matches that of this cup, and discovering he mounted other coconuts in silver we can safely attribute the piece to him. Unfortunately a date mark is missing, but his company produced other wares which are date marked from 1874 to 1877, so it's likely this cup was mounted in the 1870s. In lovely condition for its age, the piece is a rare survivor of the 19th Century, and would be a great addition to a cabinet of curiosities.
Marked - 'HW' likely for Horace Woodward & Co
Measures - 13.5cm H
Total weight - 146 grams