Shaker Furniture
Authentic antique Shaker furniture is hard to come by, but not exceedingly rare. “Shaker style” describes furnishings and interiors that are both warm and simple, centered on unpretentious wooden chairs, tables and cabinets without ornament or embellishment.
The term derives from the popular name for an all-but-vanished American religious sect, whose members crafted modest household furniture and objects as part of their belief in purposeful living and simplicity in all things.
Members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing — called Shakers, derisively, because they writhed and danced in religious ecstasy during worship — arrived in the United States from England in 1774. Within 50 years, the sect had established 19 self-sufficient communities from Maine to Kentucky, where they lived pure, humble and industrious lives.
The furniture and objects the Shakers made reflected their strict rules of behavior. Pieces such as ladder- and slat-back chairs and trestle tables were painstakingly crafted from native woods like maple and cherry, using traditional methods such as mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joinery and lathe turning. They employed strong, straight lines and symmetrical proportions, and decoration of any kind — carving, veneers, inlays — was prohibited, as it would encourage the sins of pride and vanity.
The Shakers movement included some 6,000 members at its peak in the 1860s, but the group practiced celibacy and could attempt to sustain their flock only by recruiting new adherents. Modernity proved too alluring. Today only one tiny Shaker community, in Maine, still exists, though the sect’s heritage is preserved at several historical sites.
To support their communities, the Shakers sold furniture to outsiders, who appreciated its superb quality. While the “Shaker style” label is today given to many plain, simple wooden pieces, it should also denote superior construction and solid materials. As elements in interior design, Shaker furnishings work best in a quiet decor. Modest pieces such as these can become lost among more ornate works. The style is most suitable to a country home — although a Shaker chair or cabinet can make a striking counterpoint in a modernist, urban setting.
Shaker furniture and objects have a deep appeal for their warmth, honesty and graceful simplicity, which make them welcome almost anywhere.
Find antique Shaker furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
1930s American Vintage Shaker Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1970s American Vintage Shaker Furniture
Wool
1890s American Antique Shaker Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Shaker Furniture
Iron
20th Century American Shaker Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Shaker Furniture
Metal
20th Century American Shaker Furniture
Earthenware
1920s American Vintage Shaker Furniture
Wool
20th Century Shaker Furniture
Rush, Wood
20th Century French Shaker Furniture
Wicker, Wood
2010s Spanish Shaker Furniture
Wood
1890s American Antique Shaker Furniture
Fabric, Wool
2010s Spanish Shaker Furniture
Ash
2010s Spanish Shaker Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Shaker Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Shaker Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary British Shaker Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Ash
1970s Spanish Vintage Shaker Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Shaker Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Shaker Furniture
Teak
1870s American Antique Shaker Furniture
Jute
20th Century French Shaker Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century American Shaker Furniture
Pine
20th Century Venezuelan Shaker Furniture
Wool
1970s French Vintage Shaker Furniture
Chrome, Metal
