Shaker furniture embodies their practical and straightforward Christian religious values using well-crafted wood. But, do Shaker furniture manufacturers still exist?
The appeal of Shaker furniture is found in simplicity and solid craftsmanship. Are Shakers related to the Amish or Mennonites? What defines Shaker furniture?
Who Are the Shakers?
The Shakers branched from the English Quakers in the mid-1700s. During the mainly-silent Quaker worship service, shakers began shaking, whirling, and speaking in tongues.
After her conversion, “Mother” Ann Lee helped establish Shaker beliefs and practices, including celibacy, communal living, and pacifism. Under her leadership, the Shakers began settling in the eastern United States about 1775.
Eventually, the Shakers became respected for their farming, well-organized community life, and inventiveness. Circular saws and clothespins are just two of their contributions to society, but their distinctive solid wood furniture style is the most famous.
Membership in Shaker communities peaked at about six thousand members during the 1840s. After that, their numbers dwindled, especially in the late twentieth century.
This village in Maine claims to be the last functioning Shaker settlement. Their primary work is farming, but they manufacture some “fancy goods” and “small woodenware.”
What is the Shaker Furniture Style?
The Shakers are renowned for sturdy, simple, austere, lightweight solid wood furniture using locally-available materials. Shaker furniture style is effortless and practical.
Shaker furniture designs, and indeed all Shaker inventions, combine simplicity and economy of materials with the practical solution to accomplish a task. By a century, the Shakers thought about “functionalism.”
White paint is an alternative to grain-revealing finishes. There is a picture of white Shaker furniture in the second picture below. Shaker kitchen cabinets, even though the metal hardware looks from the modern world at first.
Typical Shaker Furniture: Chairs, Dining and Bedroom Furniture
In the first picture (above), the Shaker side chair has three slats at the back. Due to its solid construction from relatively thin planks, it is both light and sturdy. The lightweight was essential so the chairs could be hung on pegs, out of the way during the whirling and shaking service.
Shaker artisans also made the peg rails upon which to hang the chairs. With about a one-foot distance between pegs, the chairs could be hung side-by-side without getting banged together.
Shaker bedroom furniture pieces, such as Shaker cabinets, were also simple in design and execution. The wood is preserved but not ornamented, as seen in the Shaker bureau and sideboard pictured. There is no fancy hardware, carving, or scrollwork.
The third image shows that a Shaker dining table was made of long pine boards. The tight joints were important for cleaning since they did not set a tablecloth.
Are There any Shaker Furniture Manufacturers Today?
Due to the declining number of authentic Shaker communities, it is unlikely that Actual Shakers have manufactured shaker furniture in recent years. However, other people do manufacture Shaker-style furniture. Furthermore, since the Shakers rarely patented any of their inventions, it is legitimate to copy their style.
Indeed, some Amish craftsmen have become Shaker furniture manufacturers. They previously made basic solid wood furniture by hand. They are very successful in making furniture in the Shaker style and others. Some Amish now manufacture various high-quality goods and sell them through retail partners.
Amish, Mennonites, and Shakers
The Amish broke away from their fellow Swiss-German Mennonites in the 1690s and later divided into smaller groups. Some moved to North America, where farmland and religious tolerance were available.
The Amish and Mennonites share many values with Shakers, such as pacifism and a preference for simplicity. Some also live separate from “the world.” However, their historic European roots in Switzerland and Germany differ from those of the Shakers and Quakers from England.
Distinguishing Shaker Furniture from Amish or Mennonite
Some traditional Mennonite furniture from the 1700s included decorative inlays, carvings such as birds or tulips, and some colorfully painted highlights. Modern Amish artisans also produce work in American Country, Mission, or the more decorative Queen Anne styles.
Online sales catalogs, or travel to Shaker museums, will provide the background needed to recognize, appreciate or purchase excellent modern pieces of Shaker furniture.