Designs often included portraits of the ship or its captain, whaling scenes, mermaids and sea creatures. Some pieces were highly personalised and given by a sailor to his wife or sweetheart to remind her of him while he was away on a long voyage. These pieces often took the form of jewellery or busks (long pieces of whalebone used to stiffen bodices) to be worn next to her heart.
Image courtesy of Middlesbrough Museums Service