A Coco de Mer Pod

The Coco de Mer pod originates from the Seychelles where its trees are now a protected specie. Therefore the nut has always been rare and highly collectable. In centuries past the coconuts that fell from the trees and ended up in the sea would be carried away eastwards by the prevailing sea currents. The nuts can only float after the germination process, when they are hollow. In this way many drifted to the Maldives where they were gathered from the beaches and valued as an important trade and medicinal item. Legend has it that sailors who first saw the nut floating in the sea imagined that it resembled a woman's disembodied buttocks Until the true source of the nut was discovered in it was believed by many to grow on a mythical tree at the bottom of the sea. European nobles in the sixteenth century would often have the shells of these nuts polished and decorated with valuable jewels as collectibles for their private galleries. 1768, The specimen we are selling is believed to date back to the early 20th century and has been professionally mounted.