Early Nantucket Baskets were made by Indians on the Island. They were utility baskets used for household storage. In the mid 1800's, the Nantucket Lightships were stationed off the coast of the island. The men who manned the ship in their free time continued the craft of weaving on board the ship. Thus, the name Nantucket Lightship Baskets. In 1948 Jose Formosa Reyes came to Nantucket from the Phillippines and starting weaving baskets with tops, which became the start of the Nantucket Basket purse as we know it today. A Nantucket basket is truly a treasure. It is handmade so each one has it's own distinctive style of the basketmaker. They are sought after in all parts of the world.