Vintage, carved wood quarterboard sign found on Nantucket, MA. Reads "Copycat". Star shaped screw holes and hints of its original gilding remain. The quarterboard measures 18.5" x 4", and comes ready to hang.
Quarterboards date back to the early 19th century. These long, narrow wooden signs were originally mounted on the “quarter” of a ship—typically near the stern or along the sides—to proudly display its name. Skilled woodcarvers, especially around coastal areas like Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, would carve these boards by hand, often adding gold leafing to finish. As ships were retired or wrecked, captains and locals began salvaging these boards to display above the entryways of their homes.
