A sailor's valentine is a form of shellcraft, a type of mostly

antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

souvenir A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a ...

, or sentimental gift made using large numbers of small

seashell A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

s. These were originally made between 1830 and 1890, and they were designed to be brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea and given to the sailor's loved one or loved ones. Sailor valentines are typically

octagonal In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A ''regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whic ...

, glass fronted, hinged wooden boxes ranging from in width, displaying intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small

sea shell A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

s of various colors glued onto a backing. Patterns often feature a centerpiece such as a

compass rose A compass rose, sometimes called a wind rose, rose of the winds or compass star, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) and their int ...

or a heart design, hence the name, and in some cases the small shells are used to spell out a motto or sentimental message. Although the name seems to suggest that the sailors themselves made these objects, a large number of them originated in the island of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate ...

, which was an important seaport during this period. Historians believe that the women on Barbados made the valentines using local shells, or in some cases using shells imported from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, and then the finished products were sold to the sailors. In his book ''Sailors' Valentines'', John Fondas concludes that the primary source for sailor's valentines was the New Curiosity Shop, located in McGregor Street,

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The Cit ...

, Barbados, a popular shop where sailors would purchase souvenirs. The shop was owned by the English brothers B.H. and George Belgrave.See also Norma Faria
"Scrimshaw Art in Bequia"
''Caribbean Compass'', March 1998 Fondas recounts that while an antique sailor's valentine was being repaired and reconstructed, pieces of a Barbados newspaper were found inside the backing material. Today, antique sailor's valentines are collectibles, valued for their beauty and unusual qualities. Collector interest has sparked a resurgence in sailor's valentines as an art form, and because of this, shell kits and patterns are now sold at craft shops.{{cite book , last1=Madeira , first1=Grace L. , last2=Miller , first2=Marshall , last3=Page , first3=Mary S. , last4=Schutt , first4=Ann T. , title=Sailors' Valentines: Their Journey Through Time , year=2006 , publisher=Schiffer Publishing , location=Atglen, PA , isbn=9780764323782 Many sailor's valentines, both new and old, can be found on

Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuset ...

References

External links

Sailors Valentine Studio

New sailors' valentines from Maine
Decorative arts Seashells in art Memorabilia Maritime culture