Sailor's Valentine Disassembled 

Select Image or Title To See In A Larger Format

Sailor's Valentine Disassembled An assortment of shells (a scallop shell highlighted) washed up on the beach at Conimicut Point, Warwick, Rhode Island

Are you familiar with the idea of a sailor's valentine? For the uninitiated, a sailor's valentine is a form of shell craft. It's a sentimental gift made using large numbers of small seashells.

Late in the Age of Sail (about 1830 to 1890), sailor's valentines flourished. The sailors would make these creations to bring home to loved one's.

What I love about these creations is that they are of the imagination. One walks on the beach and finds masses of shells. Then one becomes creative. From disorder comes order. Something beautiful and wonderful becomes more so.

So here at Conimicut Beach (Warwick, Rhode Island), this is not a mere pile of shells. It's an expression to loved ones waiting to happen.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying us a coffee to continue the work...

© Keith R Wahl, Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Keith R Wahl and Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery with appropriate and specific direction to the original.