Despite their sentimental and romantic name, sailor’s valentines have nothing to do with February 14th or Valentine’s Day. Rather they are beautiful and unique sentimental keepsakes, crafted from seashells and given as a token of love or friendship by sailors returning home from a long sea voyage.

Many were made between 1830 and 1890. They were rarely made in the shape of hearts, but usually were built in octagon shapes in shadow box form, with a hinged wooden lid with a glass pane that revealed the intricate seashell mosaic within. Common motifs include, hearts, anchors, flowers, stars, and emblems of sea life, such as a compass rose. Often sentimental phrases were spelled within the arrangement, such as “Ever Thine,” “Forget Me Not,” or “Home Sweet Home.”

Contrary to popular belief, they weren’t made by sailors themselves, but were created by skilled artisans ashore, and were then sold to visiting mariners. Most came from the Caribbean island of Barbados, a key port especially for ships sailing between New England and Europe. The overwhelming majority of those were purchased at the New Curiosity Shop in Bridgetown, Barbados, managed by two enterprising brothers, Benjamin Hinds Belgrave and George Gordon Belgrave

Many species of shells were employed, such as apple blossoms, rosecups, white nassa, limpets, tusk shells, and sunray clam shells. Other embellishing materials might be added, such as seahorse skeletons, dried seaweed and iridescent fish scales. 

If you wish to know the value of your sailor’s valentine, or any other nautical or marine artifact, let us have a look at it by clicking on the link below.

www.siscoantiquesappraisals.com

Here’s a sailor’s valentine that falls outside the realm of the usual octagonal forms. Under glass in a rectangular case, with an array of shells arranged in stylized floral and foliate forms, it sold at auction for $805. Photo courtesy Maine Antique Digest

This large nineteenth century sailor’s valentine is encased in an octagonal walnut case and filled with hundreds of shells arranged in heart and floral patterns. Somebody gave it a lot of love for $4095 at auction. Photo courtesy Thomaston Place Auction Galleries.