History of Shadow Boxes


According to some accounts of naval history and tradition, when a sailor retires and is departing the ship for the last time, it's considered bad luck for the sailor's shadow to touch land before he/she does. Thus, the sailor's shipmates would construct a sturdy box, hand-crafted of the finest materials, in which to display mementos of the sailor's accomplishments -- thereby symbolically creating a "shadow" of the sailor. The box safely contains the sailor's "shadow" until he/she is safely ashore, at which time the shadow box can be given to the sailor in a presentation ceremony.


Historically, when a sailor would join a ship's crew, he would join that ship for his entire career. During the sailor's voyages to ports of call around the world, he would collect many trinkets, souvenirs, and reminders of his travels. Naturally, as space aboard ship was at a premium, these items tended to be small. When the sailor piped ashore for the last time, his shipmates saw to it that a special ceremonial box was constructed for him. The box would hold all the possessions that had been collected during those many voyages, and would simultaneously symbolize the sailor's career and time aboard ship.


Ideally, a shadow box serves not only as a reminder of achievements and accomplishments, but also as a summation, a culmination, of a career. A shadow box should enable a stranger glancing at its contents to gain a substantial understanding of the owner's past service and achievements.