The years I’ve spent on Nantucket Island have deepened my love for nautical antiques and vintage treasures from the sea. Nothing has ever captured my heart so completely, though, as the mosaic of tiny shells carefully arranged into a message of love, and known as the Sailor’s Valentine.
In the age of cell phones and instant messages, it’s hard to truly understand how it must have felt to be separated from your beloved for months or even years at a time, to stand at a harbor and wave goodbye as a ship unfurled its sails and headed out to sea. For women left on shore in the 18th and 19th centuries, saying goodbye to a sailor husband, father, or son meant long separations followed by infrequent reunions.
Sailors had long hours at sea to think about their loved ones and miss them. A port of call meant a chance to shop for gifts to bring home. Some of the items that sailors brought included scrimshaw–carved whale bone decorated with ships or love messages–often carved themselves during long hours on shipboard.
One of the most treasured items, though, was known as the Sailor’s Valentine. Often purchased in Barbados, these were intricate designs made from tiny shells glued into delicate patterns and framed in wooden cases.
The designs included hearts, flowers, and words to demonstrate the depth of love the seafaring men felt for their homes and families. In a dangerous and uncertain world, the Sailor’s Valentines were more than souvenirs, they were proof of a man’s devotion whle far away and his safe return, love letters written in shells.
Thank you to Sylvia Antiques of Nantucket for these beautiful Sailor’s Valentine photos. Please be sure to visit their website here, or their store at 15 Main Street or 12 Straight Wharf when you’re on the island.
