Coconut Shell Craft

The Coconut constitutes a plant that belongs to Palmae family and is widely grown in tropical regions as it needs proper living environment for its growth and production. Coconut is well-known as a multipurpose plant and has been utilized and developed in a manner that yields a high economic value. Even, for that part of the plant that could be considered as waste, such as its fiber which is utilized among other uses as active charcoal; while the shell is often processed to create remarkable art work. Coconut shell or kotti in Konkani, has biological function as the protector of the main fruit. Located in the inner side of the coconut fiber with its thickness around 3-6 mm. Coconut shell can be categorized as hard wood, yet has higher lignin level and lower cellulose level, and water level about 6-9% (counted based on dry weight), and especially composed of lignin, cellulose, and hemi-cellulose. With above composition, thus art works from coconut shell have excellent quality, imperishable, and relatively easy to be formed. These features have resulted in the development of the modern coconut shell handicraft industry. Instead of being thrown away or used as firewood for cooking dry coconut shells are carved in different designs, varnished and colored. Coconut shell craftwork involves tremendous creativity and is used for the creation of utility and decorative items by artisans who use their creativity to create items from utility to arti...