19th Century Large Sailor's Valentine in Mahogany Case, circa 1880
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Large Sailor's Valentine in Mahogany Case, circa 1880, a hand-crafted shell collage with heart and rosebuds pattern within an eight-pointed star, set in a large mahogany octa...
Shell, Wood
Early Large Sailor's Valentine in Ebonized Case, circa 1920
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Large Sailor's Valentine in Ebonized Case, circa 1920, a hand-crafted shell collage with hear and rosebuds pattern set in a large ebonized octagonal shadowbox, wired on the r...
Shell, Wood
19th Century Double Sailor's Valentine
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Double Sailor's Valentine, circa 1880, a pair of handcrafted shell collages mounted in mahogany octagonal shadowboxes, hinged together and mounted with a clasp and a chain for hanging. This valentine features a heart and the message "Forget Me Not." The valentine is in great condition, but does of course have a few shells that have come loose over the past century and a half. The cases remain in great condition as well. Each Measures: 9-1/8 in H x 9-1/8 in W Victorians in the Age of Exploration and its accompanying Eclectic Movement embraced arts and crafts from around the world. Shell boxes are frequently seen, and even the odd shell diorama...
Shell, Mahogany
Antique British Colonial Sailors Valentine with Seashells
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Transporting 19th century English sailors valentine hand crafted in exotic organic seashells ambitiously arranged around a clipper ship image under a convex lens.
Shell, Organic Material
$3,750
H 22.5 in W 29.5 in D 1.75 in
Sailor's Woolwork of Royal Navy Five-Masted Ship under Steam, Minotaur Class
Located in Downingtown, PA
Sailor's Woolwork of Royal Navy Five-masted Ship under Steam, HMS Minotaur or HMS Agincourt, Minotaur Class Broadside Ironclad, circa 1880 The sailor's woolie depicts a portsi...
Wool
Sailor's Keepsake: Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama of Ship
Located in Downingtown, PA
Sailor's Keepsake: Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama 🐚 ________________________________________ This is a charming and historically evocative Edwardian Shellwork Diorama, a clas...
Shell
$6,250
H 22 in W 29.5 in D 1.5 in
British Sailor's Large Woolwork of a Royal Navy Ship Under Full Sail
Located in Downingtown, PA
Seafaring Artistry: A British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Ship, Circa 1865–75 This remarkable British sailor's woolwork, or "wool...
Wool
$2,222
H 24.51 in W 38.19 in D 10.63 in
Late 19th Century Cased British Sailing Vessel Folk Art Maritime
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A late 19th/early 20th century cased display of a painted British sailing vessel, built by Joseph Packer, who was a carpenter in Ramsey The detailed s...
Blown Glass, Pine
British Sailor's Woolwork of Royal Navy Ship
Located in Downingtown, PA
British Sailor's Woolwork of Royal Navy Ship, The sailor's woolwork or woolie depicts a starboard view of a Second-Rate Royal Navy Ship with three masts. T...
Wool
$3,250
H 19 in W 18.13 in D 2 in
British Sailor's Woolwork with Port Side view of Ram-bowed Royal Navy Ship
Located in Downingtown, PA
Iron and Thread: A Sailor's Vision of the Ram-Bow Era This striking 19th-century sailor’s woolwork, or "woolie," captures the essence of a rapidly modernizing Royal Navy, depicting a warship whose very design speaks to an era of dramatic technological change. Crafted with painstaking detail from colored yarns, this textile artwork is a superb example of the folk art traditionally made by British sailors during their long hours at sea , between journeys or in retirement. Dimensions: 19 inches high x 18 1/8 inches wide x 2 inches deep. Historical Context: The Dawn of the Ironclads The vessel illustrated is a powerful, sail-assisted steam warship, but what makes her distinctive is the pronounced, jutting ram-bow visible at her waterline. This feature was a direct consequence of the rise of ironclad warships in the mid-19th century, following the tactical use of ramming during the American Civil War and the Austro-Italian War. The ram-bow was incorporated into new British warship designs from the 1860s onward, turning the bow itself into a formidable weapon. Dating to circa 1880, this woolie belongs to a period when the Royal Navy was building large, powerful capital ships—the very ships that carried the ram. The ship is accurately shown flying the White Ensign, the distinguishing flag of a commissioned Royal Navy warship, and a long white masthead pennant, confirming her status as a vessel in active commission. The simple, bold execution of the ship, set against a classic background of sea and segmented land, creates a work of remarkable visual strength. A Unique Square Presentation The woolwork is notable for its unusual and attractive near-square format, offering a distinct aesthetic among nautical woolies...
Wool
British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Second Rate Battleship
Located in Downingtown, PA
British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Second Rate Battleship, Circa 1875 The charming simple sailor's woolie depicts a starboard side view of a Royal Navy second rate battleship...
Wool
British Sailor's Woolwork of Named HMS Atalanta Coming into Port
Located in Downingtown, PA
Large and Historically Significant Sailor's Woolwork of HMS Atalanta, British, Circa 1880. This large and impressive sailor's woolwork, or "woolie," is a richly colored and wonderf...
Wool
British Sailor's Woolwork of the Screw Frigate H.M.S. Fox
Located in Downingtown, PA
"Homecoming": British Sailor's Woolwork of the Screw Frigate H.M.S. Fox, Circa 1875 A charming and detailed British sailor's woolwork (or "woolie"), depicting a portside view of the...
Wool
Antique British Colonial Heart Form Sailors Valentine
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Charming 19th Century English heart form sailors valentine ambitiously handcrafted with exotic seashells around a sailboat image as seen through a glass lens.
Shell
Antique Sailor’s Valentine Shellwork in Octagonal Wooden Case
Located in Sarasota, FL
Traditionally associated with Barbados in the West Indies, this late 19th-century Sailor’s Valentine is a finely preserved example of shellwork folk art. Composed of hundreds of natu...
Shell, Velvet, Glass, Wood
Sold
H 9 in W 18.25 in D 1.38 in
19th Century Double Sailor's Valentine - "Home Sweet Home" circa 1870
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Double Sailor's Valentine - "Home Sweet Home," from Barbados, circa 1870, a pair of handcrafted shell collages mounted in mahogany octagonal shadowboxes, hinged together and ...
Shell, Mahogany
Sold
H 8.88 in W 17.5 in D 1.25 in
Double Sailor's Valentine "Forget Me Not" Signed and Dated "Barbados, 1915"
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Double Sailor's Valentine, Signed and Dated "Barbados, 1915," a pair of handcrafted shell collages mounted in mahogany octagonal shadowboxes, hinged together and mounted with...
Shell, Mahogany
19th Century Double Sailor's Valentine
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Double Sailor's Valentine, mid to late 19th Century, a pair of handcrafted shell collages mounted in mahogany octagonal shadowboxes, hinged together and mounted with a clasp....
Shell
Antique Nautical Display Cupboard for the Schooner Marion
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Unique historical maritime display box as a tribute to the ship wrecked schooner Marion, crafted in wood and ambitiously clad in twisted rope with a painting of the schooner at the t...
Rope, Wood, Paint
Turn of the Century Double Sailor's Valentine
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Double Sailor's Valentine, dated 1903, a pair of handcrafted shell collages mounted in mahogany octagonal shadowboxes, hinged together and mounted with a clasp. This valentine features a heart and the inscription "Barbados, 1903." The valentine is in great condition, but does of course have a few shells that have come loose over the past century and a half. The cases remain in great condition as well, though there is a little looseness to the frame backboards. Victorians in the Age of Exploration and its accompanying Eclectic Movement embraced arts and crafts from around the world. Shell boxes are frequently seen, and even the odd shell diorama...
Wood
19th Century Sailor's Valentine
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th Century Sailor's Valentine, circa 1870, a hand crafted double "sailor's valentine" shellwork picture featuring a central heart and the motto "From Barbados" within concentric ri...
Shell, Mahogany
Double Sailor's Valentine of Sea Shells and Motto "Ever Thine"
Located in Downingtown, PA
Double Sailor's Valentine of Sea Shells and Motto "Ever Thine", Barbados, West Indies, Circa 1885 A double sailor's valentine with Spanish Cedar box...
Shell
Sold
H 9.13 in W 18.25 in D 1.25 in
Double Sailor's Valentine with Large Anchor, Barbados Barbados, West Indies
Located in Downingtown, PA
Double Sailor's Valentine with Large Anchor, Barbados Barbados, West Indies, Circa 1885 The double sailor's valentine from Barbados is formed within two hinged octagonal mahogany cases with the original loop clasp to the side. On the right side is a central oval design with the charming motto, "Forget Me Not" and on the left side a central heart shape all formed by different shells. Dimensions: 18 1/4 inches wide x 9 1/8 inches high x 2 3/4 inches deep (closed) Each side 9 1/8 inches x 9 1/8 inches x 1 1/4 inches deep open Reference: Sailors’ Valentines originated in the mid-1800s. The majority of Sailors’ Valentines came from the West Indies Island of Barbados, a Port of Call for American and English ships1. Sailors would buy or trade items for these nautical tokens as romantic gifts to take home to their loved ones during their long voyages at sea. Although Sailors’ valentines were made as early as the 1750s, they did not become popular until 1830s. The sailors’ valentine craze lasted until 1890, albeit some examples were made into the early 20th century. Sailors’ valentines are a form of shell craft, a type of mostly antique souvenir or sentimental gift made using large numbers of small seashells. These were originally made between 1830 and 1890, and they were designed to be brought home from a sailor’s voyage at sea and given to the sailor’s loved...
Shell
Sold
H 15.16 in W 15.16 in D 1.97 in
19th C Large Folk Art Maritime Sailor's Shell Valentine Souvenir Love Token
Located in Lowestoft, GB
A 19th century sailor's shell valentine of typical octagonal form, the glazed case enclosing a geometric pattern of various shells within colored card ...
Natural Fiber, Pine
Sailor's Valentine with Seashells, Barbados, West Indies, Circa 1885
Located in Downingtown, PA
Large Sailor's Valentine with Seashells, Barbados, West Indies, Circa 1885 The West Indian sailor’s valentine is of typical octagonal form with a glazed wood case with a compa...
Shell
Sailor's Double Shell Valentine, Barbados, West Indies
Located in Downingtown, PA
Sailor's double shell valentine, Barbados, West Indies The West Indian sailor's valentine is of typical octagonal shape with two sides, hinged in ...
Shell
Caribbean Mahogany Table with Sailor's Valentine, circa 1840
Located in Downingtown, PA
Caribbean mahogany table with sailor's valentine top, circa 1840 The Victorian mahogany table with a central column with a shaped square foote...
Shell, Mahogany