The Nantucket Lightship Bracelet

In 1840, the U.S. Government commissioned a lightship to warn ships of the dangerous Nantucket shoals. Sailors aboard this ship served long tours of duty. To pass the time, they took up basket weaving, as taught to them by local Indians. Later, craftsmen on the island made the sturdy baskets and decorated them with scrimshaw, seashells or hand-carvings of wood or whalebone. This basket trade blossomed and some of the hand-woven baskets became very popular as handbags and purses. They are a collectible and considered a family heirloom to be passed on to future generations.

The art of Nantucket Lightship basket weaving has found new life in the form of the Nantucket Lightship bracelet. This modern take on an old tradition, utilizes the methods and materials of the original Nantucket Lightship basket weaving method.

These bracelets have been handcrafted in the traditional Nantucket Lightship weave. The bracelets can be adjusted slightly by gently bending the cuff. The cane has been protected with multiple coats of polyurethane and can withstand small droplets of water. However, it should never be soaked or submerged in water. The ivory end caps are scrimshawed by hand. The ivory utilized comes from pre-ban, reclaimed, estate ivory. A man-made Eco-Ivory is also available.