The Mystery of the Coconut Bowl

Little did I know when I found this bowl on a bottom shelf in one of the local charity shops last week that it would turn out to be a New Year mini-mystery . I only bought it as it was made from a polished coconut and I liked the shape. I thought it would be slightly different from usual for putting New Year nuts or nibbles in.  The rim and base were grimy and appeared to be some kind of dull and dirty metal, very tarnished, perhaps brass. Anyway, it was only a couple of pounds and it came home wrapped in a wool skirt – another bargain..
 I just got it out again today and thought I’d see if the metalwork would buff up at all. A few rubs with Brasso, a blackened cloth, and low and behold -  like an Aladdin’s lamp it gave me my wish for brightness and transformed! The metal was solid silver! That doesn't happen very often so I was quite excited.
It didn’t have any silver marks or a maker’s name, but I thought I’d do some sleuthing and see if I could find anything like it on the internet.
A few pictures of very valuable antique coconut goblets with ornate silver bases and rims popped up on the first search, artifacts often carved by sailors from the 15th Century onwards and then made into cups in Europe -  but all nothing like mine.

 Then on the second search I saw a similar one which said it was vintage ‘John Hardy’. The next search took me to a web page that advertised a ‘John Hardy’ outlet and workshop in Bali. It seemed to be run by a  syndicate and to specialise in jewellery - but not decorated coconuts. However, further reading said the founder of the shop was indeed a John Hardy, a Canadian who was a green eco-designer. He had settled in Bali with his wife, living out the dream of using natural products and cultural techniques to create things – including coconuts.

Now this is where it all becomes a bit co-incidental – my son is in Bali at the moment and staying in Ubud, where the John Hardy shop is. He was fired with enthusiasm when I sent him the pictures and says there are lots of silver and coconut shops. So, he is going to turn detective, hire a scooter tomorrow and make it a mission to find out more……..

But maybe anyone reading this already does know more – Is it from Bali? Might it be a John Hardy? Or is it just a 1960’s tourist piece from somewhere that grows coconuts? Whichever, the chase is on because everyone has a bit of Sherlock lurking in their souls.