About Our Namesake

In the 19th century, sailors traveled sometimes around the world on long voyages and brought back treasures from the exotic places they visited as souvenirs for their loved ones. Barbados was a frequent stop on voyages as it was a supply center for merchant and whaling ships, and was often the final port of call for sailors returning home after years at sea.

From the years 1830-1880 Barbadian women created wooden boxes with intricate arrangements of different shells in beautiful mosaics consisting of hearts, flowers and nautical symbols, often incorporating sentimental messages such as Forget Me Not or Home Again, which came to be know as sailors valentines. 

Sailors valentines are still created today as an artform on Nantucket and along the coast. We celebrate these objects as mementos of maritime history, nostalgia, sentiment, and a sailor's love for the people back home.