Very Early Nantucket Lightship Basket, circa 1860

Very rare 19th century Nantucket Lightship Bushel Basket by George C. Gardner of Nantucket Island (1809 - 1889), an oversized round open basket handcrafted with a fat rattan weave on wide wooden splint staves, a carved wooden heart-shaped handle which is deeply notched above and below the rim and extends under the weave a full half-way down their staves, and a round pine bottom deeply inscribed "George C. Gardner." Captain Gardner lived at 141 Main Street and was also known for making shorebird decoys. The bottom plate...

Late 19th century nantucket basket, by Mitchy Ray (1877 - 1956), circa 1920s, a large open oval basket with heavy rattan staves, cane weave, sol...

Antique Nantucket Lightship Basket from the South Shoals Lightship, attributed to Captain Thomas James (Nantucket: 1811 - 1885), circa 1870s, an early round, open Nantucket basket wi...

Antique Nantucket Lightship Basket by Davis Hall (1828 - 1906), circa 1880, made aboard the South Shoals Lightship. A shallow round open cane woven basket with oak staves, slender sh...

19th Century Nest of Three Nantucket Lightship Baskets, circa 1880, a graduated set of three round, open baskets having cane weave on rattan staves, a carved swing handle with an elongated ovoid lozenge end connected to tin ears that extend down inside the weave for about a quarter length of a stave, and hardwood bottom plate, likely maple, that is slightly convex and scribed with three concentric rings, The baskets are not signed but are clearly all made by the same hand. The style of the handle with a lozenge end is very similar to that carved by Charles Ray, Capt. Thomas James, William Appleton and circle aboard the South Shoals Lightship, and continued in a more exaggerated manner ashore by A.D. Williams, Ferdinand Sylvaro and especially Mitchy Ray. The handle here has a more slender and elegant profile more akin to the work of Capt. James, suggesting that this nest was likely made by a sailor serving aboard the lightship during James' tenure. All three baskets remain in very good, strong condition, and enjoy a deep patina nicely darkened with age. Unlike most nests which really seem to be more of an assemblage gathered together after the fact, these three baskets nest together nicely with a uniform gradation in size, a feature exemplified by the perfect graduated profile of their handles. This nest was in the personal collection of noted Nantucket folk art...

Antique and extremely rare Nantucket "double lollipop" basket, circa 1900, a shallow oval swing handled basket with carved wooden staves, handle and bottom plate, and cane weave. The...

With a dark rich patina. Made with oak staves, handle and a mahogany base. In excellent condition. Attributed to Sherwin Porter Boyer (1907-1964). Measures: 6”.    

Made with oak staves, handle, mahogany base and attached brass ears, in excellent condition. The poem on the label reads” I was made in Nantucket, I’m strong and stout. Don’t lose me...

10 ½” Open round Nantucket lightship basket with carved wooden oak ears with oak staves, handle and rim. The bottom is turned out of Pine and the interior is markedin ink with the or...

Nest of three Nantucket lightship baskets, the swing handles, staves and the ears ( which attach the handle to the basket) are all carved from oak. The bottoms are made from pine and each are stenciled with the maker's mark, "R Folger Maker Nantucket Mass." Rowland Folger (1803-1883) is considered one of Nantucket's first makers of lightship baskets. His baskets are very durable and were definitely used as utilitarian.These three baskets were discovered in an attic, where they were living for the last 90 years...

Oval Nantucket lightship basket with shaped oak swing handle ending in carved round “lollipop” ends and brass ears. Remnants of the original paper label remains on the bottom. Made...

American Folk Art metal basket of beaded fruit, Basket early 20th Century, fruit 1940s-60s. The dramatic early 20th Century metal openwork basket cont...