Lightship Basket Collection

The Nantucket Lightship Basket Collection honors a craft originated in the 1850s aboard the South Shoal lightships, where lonely crewmen wove rattan baskets over wooden molds to pass the long hours at sea—a tradition that evolved into one of the island's most treasured art forms. Today's pieces are modern-day interpretations handcrafted by skilled local artisans, featuring intricately woven cane, hand-carved scrimshaw embellishments, and the same timeless silhouettes that have made the lightship basket a quintessential symbol of Nantucket heritage.