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AEDRare and Important Nest of Seven Nantucket Lightship Baskets Signed Captain James Wyer
About Seller
117 Tunnel Road
Asheville, NC 28805
United States
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Brunk Auctions has been conducting sales of fine and decorative arts for over 30 years. Auctions are held in our North Carolina sale room but attracts a global audience. Founded by Robert Brunk in 1983, the auctions became well known for their integrity and profes...Read more
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About Auction
LiveJun 24, 2026
Rare and masterful forms are the hallmark of the collection, offering bidders the chance to own the very best. Key lots include a Federal painted worktable, a Newport, RI, Chippendale drop leaf table attributed to John Townsend, a matching Massachusetts Queen Anne high chest and dressing table, a pair of labeled 1803 Federal eglomise mirrors, important pottery by John Bell and Henry Adam, two exceptional nests of early Nantucket baskets, portraits by Maentel, St. Memin, and Boudon, among others. Brunk Auctions support@brunkauctions.com
View Full Catalog (138)
- Lot Description
Nantucket, Massachusetts, 1873, all but smallest basket with incised "J Wyer" or "J. Wyer" and year, painted "M E" and stenciled "Starbuck" to undersides of maple bases, hickory ribs, rattan weavers, oak handles and rims, all but the two largest baskets with bases decoratively turned at the interior, largest approx. 8-1/2 x 12-5/8 x 12-3/8 in.
Provenance: Captain James Wyer, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Mary Eliza Starbuck, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Mrs. Laughlin, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Edgar and Katherine Seeler Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Rafael Osona, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Summer 1996, lot 280; Wayne Pratt, Inc., Nantucket, Massachusetts, August 1996 (accompanied by copy of receipt for $60,500); Collection of Dr. George and Connie Manger
Literature: This group is pictured in Nantucket Lightship Baskets by Katherine and Edgar Seeler, 1972, fig. 31 p.76, and appears on the cover. This group is also pictured in The Magazine Antiques, May 1999, p.724.
Note: Captain James Wyer (1816-1899) started his maritime career as a cooper aboard the ship Nantucket, and eventually served as master of the whale ship Spartan. After the death of his wife in 1860, he moved to California where he worked as a carpenter for several years. He later returned to Nantucket and married Lois Starbuck in 1866, becoming stepfather to her two children Mary Eliza and Henry Pease. It is around this time that he is believed to have started making lightship baskets, which he continued to do through the 1890s. Mary Eliza writes about her stepfather making lightship baskets in her book My House and I. He is widely regarded as a premier Nantucket craftsperson and one of the earliest makers of lightship baskets. This nest was passed from Wyer to Mary Eliza, who at some point sold them to Mrs. James Laughlin. Laughlin's son Edgar and his wife Katherine assembled the Edgar and Katherine Seeler collection of baskets and published the previously mentioned book on the subject. The baskets were eventually brought to auction and sold by Rafael Osona for $55,000. A similar group can be found in the collections of the Nantucket Historical Association (see accession #1900.0046.001a-g), and was included in their 1994 exhibit "The Lightship Baskets of Nantucket, A Continuing Craft."
- Provenance
Captain James Wyer, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Mary Eliza Starbuck, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Mrs. Laughlin, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Edgar and Katherine Seeler Collection, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Rafael Osona, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Summer 1996, lot 280; Wayne Pratt, Inc., Nantucket, Massachusetts, August 1996 (accompanied by copy of receipt for $60,500); Collection of Dr. George and Connie Manger
- Shipping Info
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Purchased items will be available for pick up or shipping from our Asheville, North Carolina auction facility within ten business days of the auction, or will be assessed a storage fee of $5.00 per day, per item. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at the purchaser's risk and that the purchaser will pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or Brunk Auctions. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and shippers if a purchaser so requests. Brunk Auctions will have no liability for any loss or damage to shipped items.
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- Condition
areas of loss to varnish throughout with wear to bases and handles commensurate with age and use, a few rattan weavers broken or split； some small areas of paint spatter to exterior of largest basket； otherwise overall very good condition Note - Brunk Auctions makes every effort to offer accurate and thorough information, but encourages prospective bidders to inspect items in person whenever possible. Condition statements are provided as a courtesy for general guidance and should not be considered complete or definitive. They do not represent a warranty or assumption of liability by Brunk Auctions. Certain condition issues may not be specifically noted in the report but may be visible in the accompanying photographs, which are considered part of the overall condition report. Please refer to our Terms of Sale for complete information and contact us for additional photos or information as needed.
