The Stories Pages describe the inspiration for certain pieces
Inspired by Nantucket
Nantucket has provided inspiration for countless artists, craftspeople, and authors. My Nantucket pieces bring to mind Nantucket’s whaling history, architecture, customs, and decorative arts.
The Nantucket Bracelet
The Nantucket Bracelet was designed in celebration of those beautiful old homes that I have lived among, off and on, for 60 years. The bracelet consists of 6 panels, each of which is an antique residence on the island of Nantucket.The reverse of the bracelet is engraved with the name of the first owner of the house and the year it was built. These residences range from the more formal and grand to the smallest and most modest of homes built on island in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The toggle is made of two versions of Great Point Lighthouse belly to belly, the finials on the hinges between panels are fashioned after a newel post design in a book of old Nantucket homes, and the ring on the clasp is modeled after an architectural detail from the Congregational Church on Centre St. The 24K version of this bracelet is in a limited and numbered series.
The Christmas Tree Dory Pin and Pendant
Many years ago a longtime Nantucket family placed a small Christmas tree covered in lights in a tiny dory in Nantucket’s inner harbor for the holiday season. Rendered here in precious materials, it has become an iconic part of winter on Nantucket. I have made this design in 3 sizes, the largest of which I conceived of as a pin, but it could be made as a large pendant as well.
Link to Christmas Tree Dory Pin Product Details
The Scrimshaw Hearts
These heart pendants were inspired by the 19th Century needle holders from the collections of both the Nantucket Whaling Museum and the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The original needle holders were made of whale ivory and were popular things for sailors to make on shipboard for their wives and sweethearts during their idle hours at sea. Women secured these needle holders to their smocks or aprons by sewing them on using the tiny holes along the edges. That way they always had a needle at hand when they needed one.
The Quarterboard Rings
Quarterboards are carved wooden signs that are now often used to identify houses or businesses on Nantucket. In the early 1800s they were placed on the bows and sterns of whaling ships to identify them, as required by maritime law.
Link to Product Details
The Maria Mitchell Necklace
Maria Mitchell was America's first female astronomer. A pioneer for women in science, she grew up in this house on Nantucket. It was built in 1790 and is a quintessential Nantucket Quaker house.
