UCLA

Coconut shell is a material that has been used in cultural heritage across the continents and has been linked with human migration and colonization for thousands of years. Though ubiquitous, as a material coconut shell lacks the extensive conservation research done on similar cellulosic materials such as wood. Coconut shell objects are housed and displayed in museums across the globe, without knowledge of the effects of humidity, temperature, or lighting and no information about coconut shell morphology for identification and responsiveness to conservation treatment.

This study attempts to address all of these gaps by surveying museum professionals regarding the care, treatment, and state of coconut shell materials, and connect these findings to results of aging, humidity, and adhesive tests. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide suggestions for best practices for coconut shell objects in museum collections and inspire future research into coconut shell as a material. Coconut shell bowl samples were subjected to fluctuating humidity conditions, light aging, and Oddy testing. These results were then compared to morphology of coconut shell using cross-sections taken of the bowls following the procedures used for wood sampling.