Very Rare 19th Century Nantucket Lightship Bushel Basket by George C. Gardner, circa 1870
Very Rare 19th Century Nantucket Lightship Bushel Basket by George C. Gardner, circa 1870
$8,200.00
Very Rare 19th Century Nantucket Lightship Bushel Basket by George C. Gardner of Nantucket Island (1809 – 1889), circa 1870, an over-sized round open basket hand crafted with a fat rattan weave on wide wooden splint staves, a carved wooden heart-shaped handle which is deeply notched above and below the rim and extends under the weave a full half-way down their staves, and a round pine bottom deeply inscribed “George C. Gardner.”
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Very Rare 19th Century Nantucket Lightship Bushel Basket by George C. Gardner of Nantucket Island (1809 – 1889), circa 1870, an over-sized round open basket hand crafted with a fat rattan weave on wide wooden splint staves, a carved wooden heart-shaped handle which is deeply notched above and below the rim and extends under the weave a full half-way down their staves, and a round pine bottom deeply inscribed “George C. Gardner.” Captain Gardner lived at 141 Main Street and was also known for making shorebird decoys.
The bottom plate has no central hole and plug, indicating that this basket was not mounted and fastened onto a mold, but was free woven… which to a large degree accounts for the rakish tilt to the basket. The bottom plate has several cracks, and a small amount of loss on the exterior. The plate has a number or 19th Century (or possibly very early 20th Century) brads and screws fastening or reinforcing it. There is surprisingly only a small amount of breaks to the rattan. Most unusual is that there is only one handle, and the opposing side shows no marks, shadow or other evidence of there ever being a second one.
Measures: 13 in H x 20 in Diameter
