Marine Arts & Crafts
Marine Decorative Arts
Ceremonial pieces etc.
Prisoner of War Work
The ivory models and straw work made by military prisoners of war held in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars were made for sale, as was the craftwork produced by men of the Royal Naval Division interned in the Netherlands during World War One.
Sailors Wool-Work Pictures and Embroidery
Sewing was a necessary skill for seamen and they continued to produce embroidery well into the 20th century.
Scrimshaw
Scrimshaw is derived from the practice of sailors on whaling ships creating common tools, where the byproducts of whales were readily available. The term originally referred to the making of these tools, only later referring to works of art created by whalers and Sailors in their spare time.
Shell-Work
"Sailor's Valentines" were late nineteenth century decorative keepsakes which were made in the Caribbean, and which were often purchased by sailors to give to their loved ones back home. They consisted of elaborate arrangements of small seashells glued into attractive symmetrical designs, which were encased on a wooden (usually octagonal) hinged box-frame. The patterns used often featured heart-shaped designs, or included a sentimental expression of love spelled out in small shells.