Nancy Chase

Nancy Chase was born in 1931, a lifelong Nantucketer and descendent of whaling captains, carpenters, Chases and Coffins. She practiced her craft at her shop on Cobble Court for over 50 years. Learning to carve in wood while still a child, Chase took her first piece of ivory, a piece of whale jawbone given to her by her grandfather, and carved it into a map of Nantucket. Her career truly began when William Coffin, asked her to carve ivory sperm whale pins to sell to tourists. Years later, her carvings caught the eye of Jose Reyes, who approached her to make 300 three-inch whales for the tops of his baskets. She agreed, eventually leaving her job at the Pacific National Bank to complete the order. Deciding to turn her craft into a business, she opened Ivory Shop on Cobble Court with life-long friend Norma Minstrell. Some of her finest collaborations were with her sister, basket maker Susan Chase Ottison. Beyond basket tops, Chase also carved everything from jewelry to figurines, cane tops to boxes. During the 1980 presidential election, Chase was commissioned to carve the presidential seal to top a basket for future First Lady, Nancy Reagan. Chase was the first woman elected as bank trustee of the Nantucket Institute for Savings. She served on the boards of the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum and the Nantucket Historical Association and as clerk of the Land Council for a number of years.