Height 11 in., Width 8.75 in., Depth 8.75 in. Signed Handcrafted by Ann L. Hicks. This Nantucket lightship basket by Ann L. Hicks is of generous scale -- measuring 11 inches in height including the swing handle and 8.75 inches in diameter -- in classic round open form with slightly flaring sides, woven in fine rattan over vertical wooden staves and raised on a solid wooden disc base, the rim finished with a tight double wrap of rattan secured with small copper or brass nails at regular intervals, and fitted with a gracefully arched steam-bent swing handle with carved tapered ends pivoting in brass or copper ear mounts at each side. The Nantucket lightship basket is one of the most distinctive and culturally specific American craft traditions, originating with crewmen aboard the Nantucket lightships in the 1860s who wove baskets during long off-duty hours at sea using a turned wooden mold to produce the characteristic even tension and perfect circularity that defines the form -- a tradition carried forward by island and mainland weavers to the present day. At 11 inches tall this is a substantial open basket of a scale suited to use as a waste basket, plant holder or decorative display piece, the generous proportions placing it among the larger examples of the form. The quality is immediately evident in the tight even weave, the precision of the stave spacing, the quality of the rim wrap and the elegant proportions of the handle -- all hallmarks of a skilled and practiced weaver. The base should carry the Ann L. Hicks maker signature and date confirming attribution. Condition is excellent with the weave tight and complete, no broken reeds, the handle sound and the wooden base intact.