A Sailor's Valentine

Hello!
Happy February!
How are you doing this week?


Valentine's Day is just around the corner 
and if you have been around 

the blog for a while

you might know that

 Valentine's Day 

is my favorite holiday

(aside from Christmas).

You also know that I am a 
collector of things 
and I am here to tell you
that it's very hard to find interesting 

Valentine objects to collect ---
always looking, hardly finding.

I have boxes full of the old paper valentines

which are fantastic and far more

lovely than ANY cards we can 

buy today -- the graphics, cut-outs, pop-ups,  

 and embossed designs are unreal.
But there is not much you can do
with cards when you are   
decorating in February for the 14th.

Which brings me to
this wonderful

seashell clad heart-shaped box that I found

and purchased in Tarpon Springs, Florida 
because it reminded me 
of the antique sailor's valentines.

Are you familiar with 

sailor's valentines?

A sailor's valentine is 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 These were originally made between 1830 and 1890 and they were designed to be brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea and given to the sailor's loved one or loved ones. Sailor's  valentines are typically octagonal, glass fronted, hinged wooden boxes ranging from 8" to 15" in width, displaying intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small sea shells of various colors glued onto a backing. Patterns often feature a centerpiece such as a compass rose or a heart design, hence the name, and in some cases the small shells are used to spell out a 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, which was an important seaport during this period. Historians believe that the women there made the valentines using local shells, or in some cases using shells imported from Indonesia, and then the finished products were sold to the sailors.  (Source Link)

Here are a few examples.

Who knows?

 You may just run across one of them

when you are out treasure hunting.

This one was sold on Ebay

A gorgeous modern hand crafted version found here

A collection of old shell art pieces -- from Pinterest.

If you would like to have a new one made for your special Valentine,
you can do so by visiting Bill Jordan's website here 

Do you collect shell art pieces

or

antique sailor's valentines?