Coconut carving

Coconut carving

　　Artistic processing using materials such as coconut shells, coconut coir, and coconut wood has a long history of 300 years.

   Coconut carving can be divided into three categories:

   The first is coconut shell carving. Utilizing the natural shape of the coconut shell, it combines the shell with shells and assembles them into crafts according to the design. Products include coconut bowls, tea canisters, toothpick holders, ashtrays, vases, erhus, and collaged craft paintings.

   The second is coconut coir carving. Leveraging the natural texture of coconut coir, techniques such as cutting, slicing, and scorching are used to create various figurative crafts of characters and animals such as coconut monkeys, coconut pigs, and coconut girls.

   The third is coconut wood carving. Coconut wood has traditionally been used by Hainan locals to make wooden beams for housing. After the 1980s, craft factories began using coconut wood to produce items such as chopsticks and hairpins. By 1996, the variety of coconut carving products had expanded from just over 30 to more than 400.

   Coconut carving crafts won the National Excellent Tourism Works Award in 1984. In 1987, a set of four coconut coir carvings participated in the 20th National Travel Products Domestic Sales Arts and Crafts Trade Fair and won the First Prize for Excellent Travel Souvenirs. In 1990, a series of coconut coir crafts won the Silver Tianma Award at the China Travel Products Shopping Festival. Also in 1990, a five-piece set including tea bottles and ashtrays won the National Arts and Crafts Travel Products Award. In 1994, the coconut carving inlaid with shells, the “Dance” vase, was awarded the Silver Tianma Award by the National Tourism Administration, the Ministry of Internal Trade, the Light Industry Council, and the Textile Council. Currently, coconut carving products have been exported to many countries including the United States and Israel.